3 Inmates Escape in AZ

[Trip]

Boy, bet this messed up every AZ LEO's weekend. This is from one of my automatic news alerts:


PHOENIX, from the AP (July 31) -- Police were using helicopters and dogs Saturday to search for three convicted murderers who escaped from a northwest Arizona prison, kidnapped two semi-truck drivers at gunpoint and used the big rig to flee.

Department of Corrections spokesman Barrett Marson said the men escaped Friday evening by cutting a hole through a perimeter fence at the Arizona State Prison in Golden Valley, about 90 miles southeast of Las Vegas. They should be considered especially dangerous because of the nature of their convictions, he said.

The group left the drivers, unharmed, in the truck at a stop just off Interstate 40 and then fled in an unknown direction, Jackson said.

"The truck drivers were lucky to get away unscathed," he said. "I mean, they've been convicted of murder and they're escaping from prison."

Authorities urged anyone with information on the escaped prisoners to use caution and call police immediately.

The escapees were last seen wearing orange prison jumpsuits.

[Cat_Doc]

It probably should be noted that the inmates were confined in a private prison under contract with the ADOC.

It is interesting that media is reporting that the inmates were discovered missing during a 2100 hours count. At or around the same time, an alarm activated on the exterior fence line. By the time staff arrived, they discovered a hole cut in the fence.

I think some head's are going to roll on this one.

[Trip]

Hey Chief Another interesting week for ya, huh? No rest for the weary out in Arizona it seems.....

[retdetsgt]

Reason number 12 why I'm not choked up about private prisons. When the dollar is ultimate goal, corners will be cut. (No pun intended)

[MikeG]

They caught one in Rifle, CO. About 670 miles from the prison.

1 Arizona inmate captured after police pursuit - Yahoo! News

If your not from the west, the Arizona prison is about 270 miles from cat_docs County Seat in florence (and the location of the maximum security prison, their future home). That's slightly further than NYC to Washington DC.

670 miles is more than the distance from NYC to Detroit.

[MikeG]

Reason number 12 why I'm not choked up about private prisons. When the dollar is ultimate goal, corners will be cut. (No pun intended)

The only saving grace is that if your dollars are limited anyway, I'd want as many as can be incarcerated as possible. I like Sherriff Arpaio's method of using "temporary" structures to stretch those dollars and keep everyone confined. From what I read, if the strucutre is "permanent" it has to be air conditioned and kept at 68 degrees and wired for cable and whatever other federal rules they have. But temporary strucures like tents can be swamp cooled and don't need cable.

It sounds like these guys' flight risk was misjudged and the medium security prison was the wrong choice. They had help from the outside too though that shouldn't really matter. I didn't even know they sent people convicted of murder anywhere but the maximum security facility.

[Trip]

They caught one in Rifle, CO. About 670 miles from the prison.

1 Arizona inmate captured after police pursuit - Yahoo! News

If your not from the west, the Arizona prison is about 270 miles from cat_docs County Seat in florence (and the location of the maximum security prison, their future home). That's slightly further than NYC to Washington DC.

670 miles is more than the distance from NYC to Detroit.

Yahoo, one of the yahoos is caught. I just hope the others didn't decide to head east. Thanks for explaining the distance. I drive between DC and NYC all the time; it was something I could relate to.

The only saving grace is that if your dollars are limited anyway, I'd want as many as can be incarcerated as possible. I like Sherriff Arpaio's method of using "temporary" structures to stretch those dollars and keep everyone confined. From what I read, if the strucutre is "permanent" it has to be air conditioned and kept at 68 degrees and wired for cable and whatever other federal rules they have. But temporary strucures like tents can be swamp cooled and don't need cable.

It sounds like these guys' flight risk was misjudged and the medium security prison was the wrong choice. They had help from the outside too though that shouldn't really matter. I didn't even know they sent people convicted of murder anywhere but the maximum security facility.

Yes, I was thinking the same. I love how certain folks were guaranteeing that the yahoos from Gitmo couldn't possibly escape if sent to a CONUS prison, albeit super max. The day you can guarantee inside and outside jobs no longer happen, that's the day I'll believe that. Oh, and good info about temp prisons.

[retdetsgt]

The only saving grace is that if your dollars are limited anyway

They are, but in a private facility part of those tax dollars have to go to making a profit. If they need a 5-10% profit, that's 5-10% that doesn't go towards handling prisoners.

[MikeG]

They are, but in a private facility part of those tax dollars have to go to making a profit. If they need a 5-10% profit, that's 5-10% that doesn't go towards handling prisoners.

I agree. It's a hard tradeoff to make for me as I am not convinced that a government bureacracy can always turn that 5-10% to an advantage in handling prisoners. Sometimes government can do very well and sometimes it becomes a jobs program or a social experiment and it all depends on the people in charge.

Certainly the government needs a lot of oversight on these facilities and an escape should lead to changes in how things are done. It is just one datapoint though. Prisoners have escaped from the government run facilities, too, and it usually comes down to level of complacency regarding procedures and rules. It happens everywhere there are procedures and rules whether it's corporate security, prisons, military, LE, etc.

[retdetsgt]

I agree. It's a hard tradeoff to make for me as I am not convinced that a government bureacracy can always turn that 5-10% to an advantage in handling prisoners. Sometimes government can do very well and sometimes it becomes a jobs program or a social experiment and it all depends on the people in charge.

I've worked for the government long enough to know they waste tax dollars. But I worked in the private sector long enough to know that the world revolves around the almighty dollar. And they will do what they can to cut costs anywhere they can find, not to save money per se, but to put more money in the hands of the owners.

Government doesn't worry about money (another problem in itself), but they are generally concerned with the mission. In the private arena, success is gauged on how much money you can make. In government, money salaries are limited so power is how score is kept. And the more successful you are (usually) in an endeavor, the more power you achieve.

In a nutshell, a private sector warden is looking at how much money is making for the company. If he's not successful, he's gone. And he will do whatever he has to, including making risky staff or facility cuts to do so. Again, his career hinges on the profit margin.

A government warden will be looking at keeping any bad news from coming out of the prison. That includes escapes, too many assaults, etc. that will make him look bad. The dollar isn't the bottom line to him like it is the first guy. He needs to have at least the illusion of running a successful prison.

Police departments are the same. Commanders couldn't care less about money except to make sure they spend it all before the end of the fiscal year so they can get more. But if their precinct, division or whatever isn't successful in their mission, he or she will be in charge of the fire extinguishers in the main station for the rest of their career. And yes, I know a lieutenant who ended up with that job.