The city of Pickens, located in Pickens County, S.C., is a small, generally quiet city with a population near 3,000. Nearby is Table Rock State Park — a picturesque outdoor area with lakes, hiking trails and a lodge. Also nearby is the Pickens County Prison, a medium-security level facility.

In the early morning hours of December 4, 2018, inmates Bruce McLaughlin, Jr. and Timothy Dill executed a “premeditated” plan of escape. According to The New York Times, Pickens...