Casper Woman Charged With a Felony for Failing to Return to CRC

A woman who failed to return to the Casper Re-Entry Center on Monday night and was located and arrested on Thursday, was charged for the crime on Friday.

Brittany Kern, 33, heard the sole count of escape during her initial appearance before Natrona County Circuit Court Judge Nichole Collier.

Escape is a felony punishable by up to 10 years imprisonment.

She told the court that she was homeless, has been in the Casper area for about a year, had just lost a job at a local pizzeria, and has no family in the area.

Assistant District Attorney Stephanie Arrache suggested, and Collier agreed, to set her bond at $25,000.

She is innocent until proven guilty.

On Wednesday, the Natrona County Sheriff's Office said in a press release that Kern checked herself out of the CRC at 3:45 p.m. Monday for an appointment and failed to return at 9 p.m.

CRC staff reported her as an escapee to the Sheriff's Office at 10:20 p.m.

Kern was originally charged with possession of methamphetamine with the intent to deliver and sentenced to two years to five years of probation out of Converse County.

Her probation was revoked in December 2022 and she was sentenced to CRC, with a projected release date of August 2023.

In other words, if Kern had just waited another three months, she would have been released.