HERE'S THE LATEST PRISON SCOOP

I remember a coworker, a correctional educator, calling one of the housing units and asking the unit officer why Prisoner Mead wasn’t in school.

“Gee, I don’t know,” the officer replied. “I set his clothes out and packed his lunch. I wonder where he went.”

I’m fairly certain the telephone receiver was slammed back onto its cradle. There’s nothing wrong with being concerned as to an inmate’s whereabouts. Nine times out of ten, they’re on that massive playground called the prison yard, and the odds of them planning the great escape are slim to none. The real problem, at least psychologically, is that they’re a walking liability. If they stab someone, the following question often arises: “Why was he out on the yard when he should’ve been in your classroom?”

On the other hand, I recall years ago strolling across the prison yard at Ryan Correctional Facility in Detroit. The sergeant accompanying me said, “Take a look around you.” He pointed toward the perimeter, the concertina wire. “They’re not going anywhere. Trust me.” A year later, someone tossed bolt cutters and guns over the fence resulting in ten inmates escaping. Soon afterward, the librarian was put under investigation (the escaped prisoners should’ve been in his area), a second security fence including gun towers were erected, and our former fat governor was doing a photo op showing his concern for the community. I remember tip-toeing around the compound, wondering whether all the guns were accounted for. In our debriefing, we were informed that no one knew how many weapons were thrown over the fence.

Thirteen years later, I’m hearing about a less successful escape attempt at Kinross, a facility in Michigan’s upper peninsula. Some inmates were within a few feet of their freedom. Imagine that. Kudos to the staff person who discovered the tunnel. I wonder which state employee(s) will be held accountable for the big dig?