HOLDEN — A Southwestern Regional Jail corrections officer recently foiled an escape attempt by three inmates.

The prison guard learned some of the inmates were allegedly plotting an escape attempt by utilizing the water chase, which is an area where corrections officers are able to turn off the water pressure to keep inmates from flooding parts of the jail.

Howard Childers 28, of Barboursville is now being charged for attempting to escape; Kenneth Lee Nickson, 42, of Charleston is being charged with being an accessory before the fact; and Larry Jackson, 27, of North Springs, is being charged with being an accessory before the fact.

According to the criminal complaint on file in Logan County Magistrate Court, on Jan. 6, Corporal Chadd Martin was questioning an inmate about an unrelated matter when he was told "Inmate Howard Childers was going into the water chase and going underneath to the jail to try and find a way to escape."

The inmate reportedly stated he could hear inmate Childers hitting pipes in the water chase, and that he was allegedly being accompanied by inmates Jackson and Nickson, who was pulling him up from the area by using bed sheets.

Cpl. Martin then questioned the inmates abut the incident and asked just how Childers got made it into the water chase.

"Inmate Nickson informed Sgt. Jimmy Vance that inmates Howard Childers and inmate Larry Jackson were the two inmates in the water chase most of the time," one of the reports states. "He also stated that he helped lower them with a (bed) sheet into the water chase."

Nickson told the officers he helped lower Jackson down into the water chase.

Warrants on the new charges were issued by Magistrate Dwight Williamson on the alleged escape attempt.

The trio remain lodged in the Southwestern Regional Jail.

In other law enforcement news:

• Billie Johnson Brewster, 34, residence not listed, was arrested in Logan County by the Logan County Sheriff's Department for DUI, obstructing an officer, destruction of property and battery on an officer on Jan. 12. He was booked at the regional jail at 1:08 a.m.

• Mark Anthony Hall, 37, residence not listed, was arrested in Logan County by the Logan County Sheriff's Department for DUI and improper registration on Jan. 1. He was booked at the regional jail at 10:30 p.m.

• Freddie Lane Bryant, 61, residence not listed, was arrested in Logan County by the Logan County Sheriff's Department for DUI on Dec. 31. He was booked at the regional jail at 8:41 p.m.

• Keith Allen Campbell, 45, residence not listed, was arrested in Logan County for DUI, no insurance, no registration, defective equipment and being a fugitive from justice on Dec. 26. He was booked at the regional jail at 3:20 a.m.

• Timothy Gene Goldie, 50, residence not listed, was arrested in Logan County for DUI, no insurance and driving on a revoked license on Dec. 20. He was booked at the regional jail at 4:48 p.m.

• Paul Henry Dyer, 34, residence not listed was arrested in Logan County by the WVSP for DUI, failure to maintain control on Dec. 20. He was booked at the regional jail at 12:40 a.m.