Staff at the York Correctional Institute in Niantic are searching for two female inmates who escaped on Saturday night.
Correctional staff noticed the inmates, Jessica Rivera, 34 of Waterbury and Melissa Riley, 30 of Willimantic, missing after a group of inmates returned from the gymnasium around 8:15 p.m. Saturday night,.
Rivera is serving a four year sentence stemming from a charge of conspiracy on July 12, 2011. Riley entered the system on July 18, 2011 and is serving a three year and three month sentence for possession of narcotics.
The facility was immediately placed in lock down. The escape is considered a walk away since the offenders were housed in a minimum security area of the facility.
Residents in the area were alerted of the escape by the state's reverse 911 system. Anyone with any information is asked to call state police.
