A Brookhaven teenager trusted to work in the Lincoln County Jailkitchen walked off the detail Thursday morning and has not beenfound, according to law officers.

Joseph G. Arnold, 19, of 900 Williams St., was awaiting trial ona charge of possession of cocaine with intent to distribute when heapparently left the jail around 6 a.m. Thursday, said LincolnCounty Sheriff Steve Rushing.

“He just walked off the work detail,” Rushing said. “As far asI’m aware, he has no other criminal history.”

The sheriff said Arnold “obviously did not put a lot of thoughtinto his decision.”

“He was waiting on bond and could have been out in hours ordays,” Rushing said. “On these new charges, he will not be eligiblefor bond.”

Security throughout the jail has been increased and Rushing saidthe department has added more supervision at the jail kitchen.However, he said he could not go into detail on the additionalsecurity measures because it would compromise them.

“I believe the steps I’m taking will solve the problem,” hesaid. “He’s the first one I’m aware of who’s walked out from thekitchen.”

Rushing said the Brookhaven Police Department has been assistingin locating Arnold.

“The police department has been very proactive in helping tolocate him,” he said. “They started looking for him before I couldeven tell them that he left because they heard it on theradio.”

The jail is presently undergoing a review by federal and stateofficials to determine whether it will again be granted theauthority to house state inmates. The order authorizing the jail tohouse state inmates was allowed to expire in August because of aninvestigation of the previous administration’s inmate policies andprocedures.

Mississippi Department of Corrections Chris Epps and Ron Welch,who has federal prison authority, signed papers this weekauthorizing the return of state inmates, but other signatures arestill needed.

Rushing said he doesn’t believe Arnold’s escape will affecttheir decision.

While touting the kitchen’s savings to the county by cuttingfood costs at the jail, Rushing said security there was aninherited problem. The kitchen is located across the parking lot atthe Lincoln County-Brookhaven Government Complex from the jail.

“I would much rather have the kitchen in the jail, but,obviously, I have to work with what I have here,” he said. “Itwouldn’t be cost-effective right now to move it into the jail, andthere really isn’t a place to put it in the facility.”