Captured: Two escapees found near prison

AP — Two inmates who escaped the Jess Dunn Correctional Center in Taft were recaptured near the prison Monday morning, the Oklahoma Highway Patrol said.

Billy Ray Strickland, 43, and Ronald Dale Bivens, 32, were caught by an OHP dog team about 15 miles from the prison, said Trooper Betsy Randolph.

The two were reported missing from the minimum security prison near Muskogee about 10 p.m., Sunday, Randolph said.

Details of the escape were not immediately available.

The state Department of Corrections Web site showed Strickland serving 23 years for two robbery convictions. Bivens has previous convictions for driving under the influence and possession of drugs with intent to distribute.