Writers’ Police Academy Short Story Contest and a Police Pursuit

Writers' Police Academy Short Story Contest and a Police Pursuit

It’s almost here! Yes, the Writers’ Police Academy short story contest opens in just a few days. So sharpen your pencils and your imaginations. This one’s going to be fun.

Each story must have a great opening, a fantastic middle, and a truly twisted Jeffery Deaver-style ending. Now for our own twist. You must tell your story in exactly 200 words, including the title. Signatures, author names, etc. may not be included in the word count.

Contest details will soon appear on this site and on the Writers’ Police Academy website, so please check back often.

The winner of the contest will receive the prestigious Golden Donut Award sponsored by The High Point North Carolina Public Library and The Graveyard Shift.

* Registrations are still available for the Writers’ Police Academy. More exciting plans for the academy are currently underway!

By the way, the photo above is a clue.

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Of course, the fact that you’re reading about the contest means everyone made it home safely this week. Sure, there were plenty of bumps and bruises along the way, but families remained whole. And that’s what it’s all about.

Now, let’s end the week with a video of a pursuit in L.A. I know, police pursuits are a dime a dozen in L.A., but it’s the end of this one that’s of interest. The suspect does not give up, even to a couple dozen police officers who have a pretty difficult time extricating him from his car. This all started when the driver entered a police station, made a threat, and then ran out. And you think your day at the office was rough…

 

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If You Can’t Do The Time…Turn Off The Video Recorder

Anthony Graber was enjoying his motorcycle ride, maybe a little too much, when he sped past a marked police car at approximately 80 mph. He also scooted past an unmarked state police vehicle driven by Trooper Joseph David Uhler, who finally caught up to Graber’s bike at an off ramp where he’d stopped for the traffic in front of him.

The trooper pulled his police car in front of Graber and hopped out with gun in hand. He ordered the driver off the bike. He gave the command a couple of times before holstering his weapon and identifying himself as a Maryland State Police (MSP) officer. However, the officer’s badge was clearly displayed on his belt. Graber complied. Unfortunately for him, that’s not all he did.

In fact, speeding was the least of Graber’s troubles that day. You see, he’d decided to attach a camera to his helmet and videotape himself while driving rather recklessly on interstate 95, a major east coast highway.

Graber’s helmet-cam. Photography Is Not A Crime image

Of course, there’s absolutely nothing wrong with videotaping your own foolishness, but Graber left the film rolling during the traffic stop. Again, there’s nothing illegal about VIDEOtaping anyone in a public place. However, Graber’s recorder also captured the audio during the stop, which in some states is an illegal act. And the Maryland State Police felt that Graber had crossed the line, especially after he posted the video on YouTube.

Wiretapping laws are normally pretty clear. In most areas you simply cannot record a private conversation without the consent of both parties (I’ve indicated the word private and will address why in a moment).

As a result of the audio recording the MSP obtained a search warrant and served it on Graber’s home. The officers seized Graber’s computers and Graber actually spent 26 hours in jail. He’s now awaiting trial for wiretapping charges, a situation that could result in a 16 year prison sentence. All because he recorded his own traffic stop and probably wasn’t aware of the law. No excuse, but…

Graber’s argument will most certainly be that the recording was not of a private conversation. I, too, have my doubts that a police officer’s arrest (a traffic stop is essentially an arrest) of a lawbreaker is a private event. I just can’t see where a police officer has a reasonable expectation of privacy when engaged in questioning, arresting, or even talking to people while on public property, including city, county, and state roadways, sidewalks, open businesses, right of ways and/or easements. etc. That’s what police stations, police cars, and interview rooms are for.

So, I can’t see the wiretap charge sticking. It’s stretching the law to the edge of its limit. But we’ll see how it goes, and it should be interesting. The outcome could also be a standard-setter.

What do you think? Good arrest, or a violation of Graber’s constitutional rights?

/by

"Friendly" Gunfire Inside Georgia Bank

Friendly Gun Fire

Picture yourself standing in line at the bank. Your paycheck in hand. Spouse and kids in the car waiting. Landlord waiting for the rent check. Groceries to buy. Your mind is in a million places at once. So much to do, so little time and too little money. Suddenly, a shady looking character walks into the bank and positions himself in line behind you. You’re worried. Banks are robbed every day, right? And the robbers take hostages, too. Sure they do.

Then, someone from the loan office walks up to the guy with shifty eyes. She’s speaking to him. Did he do something wrong? Your heart is pounding. Wait. She knows him. You listen. He’s a friend. Better yet, he’s an off-duty police officer. All those worries for nothing. Whew! How much safer could you be than having a police officer standing next to you? Is he armed? Yep. And he’s showing his pistol to the bank employee. She’s saying something about wanting to buy a handgun, but she’s worried they’re not safe.

“Nothing to worry about,” he says. “They’re perfectly safe.”

The officer pushes a button and pops out the thing that holds all the bullets. A magazine is what he called it. His friend says she thought it was called a clip. He says that a common misconception.

“The gun looks so menacing,” she says.

He’s looking inside a slot on the side of the magazine. Counting the bullets maybe? They must be all there because he shoves the magazine back inside the pistol. It locks with a loud snap.

“Firearms are safe. It’s the person holding them you have to worry about,” he says.

Then…

BANG!

Everyone ducks for cover. Could there be a robber after all. What’s the officer doing? Why didn’t he stop the shooter? Is the bank employee all right? What’s going on? What just happened?

Can you imagine yourself in this scenario? What would you do? How would you react?

Well, customers and bank employees in a Thunderbolt, Ga. bank found out the hard way how they’d react, because something similar happened to them just last week.

An off-duty Thunderbolt police officer identified only as C. Watson was inside a branch of a United Community Bank when a bank employee asked him about handguns. She asked because she was considering buying one. Officer Watson, a two year veteran of the police department, drew his weapon to show the employee. As he was explaining the weapon and its functions he ejected the magazine, keeping the barrel aimed at the floor. Suddenly, the weapon fired sending the chambered round (Walton had failed to clear the chamber) into the concrete floor.

Luckily, no one was injured during this extremely dangerous mishap. Well, no one was physically injured. But I’m sure the officer’s pride and reputation took a heavy hit, as did his personnel file. The question of the day is…What should happen to the officer? Suspension? Dismissal? Criminal charges? Or nothing at all?

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Touch DNA: Good Stuff, Or An Invasion Of Privacy?

Touch DNA is not rocket science. In fact, it’s far from it. To obtain touch DNA, all that’s needed is a sample, even one that’s as small as a grain of sand, and a little patience. What sort of sample? Again, easy answer. Anything a suspect may have touched, such as a fork, food, a doorknob, a picture frame…a murder weapon. That’s right, no longer do detectives need to rely solely on that blood droplet or semen stain.

The human body sheds tons of skin cells each day, and that’s basically what investigators are hoping to find on the evidence. Even prisons are using touch DNA these days. They’re taking touch DNA from contraband found within the facilities and testing it. They’re doing this so they can charge the appropriate prisoners with possession of the illegal items. And, since nearly every prison inmate has a sample of his/her DNA on file, it’s a simple matter of learning who touched the object. No more, “Not me. It’s not mine.” Or, “Nope, I never touched that bag of cocaine.” Within 60 +/- days prison officials will know without a doubt if the prisoner was telling the truth. This procedure is especially useful for testing narcotics packaging and illegal cellphones, both of which are highly dangerous items in the prison culture.

The problem some people see with touch DNA (on the streets, not in prison, and I’ll explain why it’s different in prison in a second) is that police officials are able to collect the samples without a warrant. They can grab a used paper cup from the garbage. A cigarette butt from the gutter. Or, a discarded newspaper. Even a door handle at the mall, or a car door handle parked in that same mall. If it’s collected from a public place there’s no real expectation of privacy. However, some people say this is another example of police overstepping their bounds. But is it?

On the other hand, prison inmates have no expectation of privacy. Corrections officials can, and do, search an inmate’s property whenever and wherever they want to. Therefore, touch DNA is perfectly acceptable and legal in the prison world.

So, do you think police officers should be able to legally collect samples of your DNA from public places and then use it against you in a criminal case?

– By the way, it was touch DNA that cleared the Ramsey family of Jon Benet’s murder. Touch DNA excluded all family members, but indicated the profile of an unidentified male suspect.

/by

Murderers Escape Arizona Prison: How’d They Do It?

Murderers Escape Arizona Prison: How'd They Do It?

All it took for three desperate murderers to see daylight was the help of a woman on the outside and a simple pair of pliers.

It’s believed that the woman, 44-year-old Casslyn Mae Welch, met the men after their escape and helped them get away. She may have visited one of the inmates earlier in the day. Who knows where they got the pliers. But I can assure you that heads will be rolling soon. No, not the heads of the escapees. I’m talking about prison officials.

Sure, it’s big news when dangerous and violent criminals are able to successfully walk away from any correctional facility, but these guys managed to slip away from one of the largest prisons in Arizona, the Arizona State Prison in Golden Valley. This mega institution houses slightly more than 3,500 inmates on approximately 90 acres of land. The 34 building complex is a whopping 795,000 square feet that includes an 80 cell detention unit, dormitories, warehouses, and a medical facility. And, there’s a huge exercise yard, the largest in the Arizona prison system. Prisoners have access to softball fields, isometric training, horseshoes, basketball and volleyball, to name a few of the amenities.

This prison also incorporates a canine obedience program that allows inmates to train and care for a Humane Society dog. The facility also has a unique “open door” policy that requires officers to mingle with the prisoners. There are no security cages or glass partitions between the staff and the inmates.  Warden Darla Elliot once told a local Arizona paper that she believed the open, laid-back policy would encourage prisoners in her facility to be more trustworthy and accountable for their actions.

Warden Elliot discussing details of a new dormitory within the prison complex.

Warden Elliot made that statement to her local newspaper in May 2009. A little over a year later, the three killers walked away from her institution. The director of the Arizona Department of Corrections, Charles Ryan, says he believes lax security at the prison may be at the root of the recent escape.

Ryan’s statement brings to mind another question. The Golden Valley facility is a privately-run prison. The state does not operate it. It’s owned, managed, and maintained by a company called Management And Training Corporation (MTC) out of Centerville, Utah.

MTC’s company overview states they have a history of changing lives and helping inmates and Job Corps students learn. And they also say (from their website):

MTC builds trust with government agencies and the public because it:

* Achieves high operational performance
* Operates programs within budget
* Rewards innovation and excellence
* Implements customer policies and exceeds those requirements
* Provides safe and secure working, living, and learning environments
* Builds quality partnerships with communities, employers, workforce development agencies and vendors.

MTC is the third largest operator of privately-run prisons in the country. I haven’t checked, but I’m sure Wackenhut and Corrections Corporation of America are probably the two largest. In fact, Wackenhut operates these prisons (for profit). You can scroll down quickly. The list is long, and boring:

Africa
Kutama- Sinthumule Maximum Security Prison

Australia
Junee, New South Wales
Victoria
Wacol, Queensland
Department of Immigration & Multicultural Affairs (DIMA)
Melbourne, Victoria

Canada
New Brunswick

New Zealand
Auckland

United Kingdom
Doncaster, England
Dungavel, Scotland
Lowdham, England
Marchington, England
Medomsley, England
Pucklechurch, England
Kilmarnock, Scotland

United States
California
Colorado
Florida
Louisiana
Michigan
Mississippi
New Mexico
North Carolina
New York
Oklahoma
Pennsylvania
Puerto Rico
Texas
Virginia

CALIFORNIA

CENTRAL VALLEY MODIFIED COMMUNITY CORRECTIONAL FACILITY
254 Taylor Avenue
McFarland, CA 93250
Phone: 661-792-3492
Fax: 661-792-5572
550-bed state medium custody community correctional facility
Opened December, 1997

DESERT VIEW MODIFIED COMMUNITY CORRECTIONAL FACILITY
10450 Rancho Road
Adelanto, CA 92301
Phone: 760-246-1171
Fax: 760-246-6420
568-bed state medium custody community correctional facility
Opened December, 1997

GOLDEN STATE MODIFIED COMMUNITY CORRECTIONAL FACILITY
611 Frontage Road
McFarland, CA 93250
Phone: 661-792-2731
Fax: 661-792-6131
550-bed state return-to-custody correctional facility
Opened December, 1997

McFARLAND COMMUNITY CORRECTIONAL FACILITY
120 Taylor Road
McFarland, CA 93250-0637
Phone: 661-792-3001
Fax: 661-792-3007
224-bed state correctional facility
Opened January, 1989

WESTERN REGION DETENTION FACILITY AT SAN DIEGO
220 C St. (West)
San Diego, CA 92101
Phone: 619-232-9221
Fax: 619-232-9224
616-Bed Detention Facility
Opened July, 2000

TAFT CORRECTIONAL INSTITUTION
1500 Cadet Road
Taft, CA 93268
Phone: 661-763-2510
Fax: 661-765-3002
2,048-bed federal correctional facility
Opened December, 1997

COLORADO

AURORA/INS PROCESSING CENTER
11901 East 30th Ave
Aurora, CO 80010
Phone: 303-361-6612
Fax: 303-341-2652
340-bed I.N.S. detention facility
Opened February, 1987

FLORIDA

ATLANTIC SHORES HOSPITAL
4545 North Federal Highway
Fort Lauderdale, FL 33308
86-bed rivate psychiatric hospital
Owner/Manager since July 1997
Phone: 954-771-2711
Fax: 954-493-9998

BROWARD COUNTY WORK RELEASE CENTER
3900 North Powerline Rd.
Pompano Beach, FL 33073
Phone: 954-973-4485
Fax: 954-973-6179
300-bed minimum security work release center
Opened February, 1998

MOORE HAVEN CORRECTIONAL FACILITY
Hwy 27 N & Hwy 78 E
Moore Haven, FL 33471
Mailing Address:
P.O. Box 718501
Moore Haven, FL 33471-8501
Phone: 863-946-2420
Fax: 863-946-3437
750-bed state medium/close-custody security prison
Opened June, 1995

SOUTH BAY CORRECTIONAL FACILITY
600 US Hwy. 27 South
South Bay, FL 33493
Phone: 561-992-9505
Fax: 561-992-9551
1,436-bed state medium/close-custody security prison
Opened February, 1997

SOUTH FLORIDA STATE HOSPITAL
800 East Cypress Dr
Pembroke Pines, FL 33025
350-bed stats psychiatric hospital
Phone: 954-392-3000
Fax: 954-392-3041
Opened November, 1998
New facility construction opened December, 2000

LOUISIANA

ALLEN CORRECTIONAL CENTER
3751 Lauderdale Woodyard Road
Kinder, LA 70648
Phone: 337-639-2942
Fax: 337-639-2944
1,474-bed state medium/maximum security facility
Opened December, 1990

MICHIGAN

MICHIGAN YOUTH CORRECTIONAL FACILITY
1805 West 32nd Street
Baldwin, MI 49304
480-bed youth correctional facility
Phone: 231-745-9711
Fax: 231-745-9707
Opened July, 1999

MISSISSIPPI

EAST MISSISSIPPI CORRECTIONAL FACILITY
10641 Highway 80 West
Meridian, MS 39307
Phone: 601-485-5255
Fax: 601-485-5944
500-bed mental health correctional facility
Opened April, 1999

MARSHALL COUNTY CORRECTIONAL FACILITY
833 West Street
Holly Springs, MS 38634
Phone: 662-252-7111
Fax: 662-252-5777
1,000-bed state medium security prison
Opened June, 1996

NEW MEXICO

GUADALUPE COUNTY CORRECTIONAL FACILITY
P. O. Box 520
South Highway 54
Santa Rosa, NM 88435
Phone: 505-472-1001
Fax: 505-472-1006
600-bed correctional facility
Opened January, 1999

LEA COUNTY CORRECTIONAL FACILITY
6900 West Millen Drive
Hobbs, NM 88244
Phone: 505-392-4055
Fax: 505-392-6488
1,200-bed correctional facility
Opened May, 1998

NEW YORK

QUEENS PRIVATE CORRECTIONAL FACILITY
182-22 150th Avenue
Jamaica, NY 11413
Phone: 718-553-5420
Fax: 718-553-5426
200-bed I.N.S. detention facility
Opened March, 1997

NORTH CAROLINA

RIVERS CORRECTIONAL INSTITUTION
145 Parker’s Fishery Rd
Winton, North Carolina 27986
Phone: 252-358-5200
Fax: 252-358-5202
1200-bed, low security, adult male facility
Opened March, 2001

OKLAHOMA

LAWTON CORRECTIONAL FACILITY
8607 South East Flower Mound Road
Lawton, OK 73501
Phone: 580-351-2778
Fax: 580-351-2641
1,800-bed medium security correctional facility
Opened July, 1998

PENNSYLVANIA

GEORGE W. HILL CORRECTIONAL FACILITY
Cheyeney Road
Thornton, PA 19373
Phone: 610-358-2150
Fax: 610-358-9694
1,812-bed county prison
Assumed operations April, 1996
Moved to new facility October, 1998

TEXAS

BRIDGEPORT CORRECTIONAL CENTER
4000 N 10th Street
Bridgeport, TX 76426
Mailing Address:
P.O. Box 189
Bridgeport, TX 76026
Phone: 940-683-3010
Fax: 940-683-3094
520-bed state correctional facility
Opened August, 1989

CENTRAL TEXAS PAROLE VIOLATOR FACILITY
218 South Laredo Street
San Antonio, TX 78207-4532
Phone: 210-227-5600
Fax: 210-226-5007
623-bed mixed use facility
Renovated and opened January, 1989

CLEVELAND CORRECTIONAL CENTER
901 East 5th Street
Cleveland, Texas 77327
Phone: 281-592-9559
Fax: 281-592-9552
520-bed correctional facility
Assumed Operations January, 1999

COKE COUNTY JUVENILE JUSTICE CENTER
4E Hwy 277 South
Bronte, TX 76933-0700
Phone: 915-473-5700
Fax: 915-473-5800
200-bed youthful offender facility
Opened October, 1994

JOHN R. LINDSEY STATE JAIL
1137 Old Post Oak Road
Jacksboro, TX 76458
Phone:940-567-2272
Fax: 940-567-2292
1,031-bed community corrections facility
Opened September, 1995

KARNES COUNTY CORRECTIONAL CENTER
810 Commerce St.
Karnes City, TX 78118
Phone: 830-780-3525
Fax: 830-780-4057
579-bed adult correctional facility
WCC-managed since January, 1998

LOCKHART SECURE WORK PROGRAM FACILITIES (Men’s)
1400 Industrial Blvd
Lockhart, TX 78644
Phone: 512-398-3480
Fax: 512-398-4551
500-bed men’s state prison facility
Opened February, 1993

LOCKHART SECURE WORK PROGRAM FACILITIES (Women’s)
1400 Industrial Blvd
Lockhart, TX 78644
Phone: 512-398-3480
Fax: 512-398-4551
500-bed state women’s facility
Opened August, 1994

KYLE CORRECTIONAL CENTER (NEW VISION)
701 IH 35 South
P.O. Box 1300
Kyle, TX 78640-1300
Phone: 512-268-0079
Fax: 512-268-0366
520-bed state facility/chemical dependency treatment center
Opened June, 1989

NORTH TEXAS INTERMEDIATE SANCTION FACILITY
4700 Blue Mound Road
Fort Worth, TX 76106
Phone: 817-740-0180
Fax: 817-740-0735
400-bed parole violator facility
Opened August, 1991

VAL VERDE COUNTY JAIL & CORRECTIONAL FACILITY
253 FM
2523 Hamilton Lane
Del Rio, TX 78840
Phone: 830-778-0096
Fax: 830-778-0036
784-bed jail and correctional facility
Opened January, 2001

WILLACY STATE JAIL
1695 Buffalo Drive
Raymondville, TX 78580
Phone: 956-689-4900
Fax: 956-689-4001
1,000-bed state jail facility
Opened January, 1996

VIRGINIA

CHARLOTTE COUNTY CORRECTIONAL FACILITY
Drakes Branch, VA
1,000-bed state correctional facility
Opening 3rd Quarter, 2002

PUERTO RICO

BAYAMON CORRECTIONAL FACILITY
Calle #28 Final
Centro Industrial Luchetti
Bayamon, PR 00961
Phone: 787-288-5800
Fax: 787-786-0800
500-bed state correctional facility
Opened March, 1997

AFRICA

HEAD OFFICE
SOUTH AFRICA CUSTODIAL SERVICES (SACS)
Oak Place
Woodmead Office Park
Western Service Rd.
Woodmead
Santon
Phone: 011-27-11-802-4440
Fax: 011-27-11-802-4491

KUTAMA-SINTHUMULE MAXIMUM SECURITY PRISON
South African Custodial Management
Temporary Office
Suite 6, Far North Suites
117 Krogh St.
Louis Trichart 0920
Republic of South Africa
Phone: 011-27-15-516-0217
Fax: 011-27-15-516-0277
3,024-bed maximum security prison
Opening 1Q02

AUSTRALIA

HEAD OFFICES
AUSTRALASIAN CORRECTIONAL MANAGEMENT PTY LTD (ACM)
Level 18, AXA Centre
44 Market St., Sydney, NSW 2000
Phone: 011-61-2-9262-6100
Fax: 011-61-2-9262-6005

ACM DETENTION SERVICES
Head Office
Level 18, AXA Centre
44 Market St., Sydney, NSW 2000
Phone: 011-61-2-9295-0204
Fax: 011-61-2-9295-0288

ARTHUR GORRIE REMAND AND RECEPTION CENTRE
3068 Ipswich Road
P.O. Box 1300 Darra
Wacol Queensland 4076 Australia
Phone: 011-61-7-3212-0428
Fax: 011-61-7-3212-0415
710-bed remand and reception centre
Opened July, 1992

DIMA CURTIN IMMIGRATION RECEPTION & PROCESSING CENTRE
RAAF Base Curtin
P.O. Box 1210
Great Northern Highway
Derby, Western Australia 6728
Phone: 011-61-8-9193-3800
Fax: 011-61-8-9193-3818
Limited security immigration dentention centre
Opened September 1999

DIMA MARIBYRNONG IMMIGRATION DETENTION CENTRE
53 Hamstead Road
Maidstone Victoria, 3012 Australia
Phone: 011-61-3-9318-1999
Fax: 011-61-3-9317-7390
Immigration detention facility
ACM assumed management, December, 1997

DIMA PERTH IMMIGRATION DETENTION CENTRE
Corner Baker Road & McCombe Avenue
Perth, WA 6000 Australia
Phone: 011-61-8-9479-1257
Fax: 011-61-8-9479-7284
Immigration detention facility
ACM assumed management, December, 1997

DIMA PORT HEDLAND IMMIGRATION RECEPTION & PROCESSING CENTRE
Dempster Street, Cooke Point
Cook Point, WA Australia 6721
Phone: 011-61-8-9173-2822
Fax: 011-61-8-9173-2825
Immigration detention facility
ACM assumed management, December, 1997

DIMA VILLAWOOD IMMIGRATION DETENTION CENTRE
Miowera Road
Villawood NWS 2163 Australia
Phone: 011-61-2-9752-1500
Fax: 011-61-2-9752-1599
Immigration detention facility
ACM assumed management, December, 1997

DIMA-WOOMERA IMMIGRATION RECEPTION & PROCESSING CENTRE
Works Road
P.O. Box 136
Woomera West 5720
South Australia, Australia
Phone: 011-61-8-8674-7220
Fax: 011-61-8-8674-7574
Reception holding & processing centre
Opened April, 1997

FULHAM CORRECTIONAL CENTRE
Hopkins Road
Fulham, Victoria 3850 Australia
Phone: 011-61-3-51-423-800
Fax: 011-61-3-51-423-801
775-bed state prison
Opened April, 1997

JUNEE CORRECTIONAL CENTRE
Park Lane
Junee NSW 2663, Australia
Phone: 011-61-26-924-3222
Fax: 011-61-26-924-3197
750-bed correctional center
Opened April, 1993

MELBOURNE CUSTODY CENTRE
520 Lonsdale Street
Melbourne, Victoria 3000 Australia
Phone: 011-61-3-9628-7888
Fax: 011-61-3-9628-7894
80-bed custody management & court security centre
Assumed operations March 1999

CANADA

NEW BRUNSWICK YOUTH CENTRE
4 Airport Drive, P.O. Box 39
Miramichi, New Brunswick, Canada E1N 3W4
WCC designed, constructed and now has 25-year maintenance contract
Phone: 506-624-2160, 2163, 2164
Fax: 506-624-2162
Opened January, 1998

NEW ZEALAND

AUCKLAND CENTRAL REMAND PRISON
PO Box 8180
Symonds St.
Auckland, New Zealand
Phone: 011-64-9-309-9859
Fax: 011-64-9-309-9698
383-bed adult male remand prison
Opened July 2000

UNITED KINGDOM

HEAD OFFICE
PREMIER PRISON SERVICES LIMITED
Berkshire Court, Western Road
Brachnell, Berkshire RG12 1RE
Phone: 011-441-344-386-300
Fax: 011-441-344-868-867

PPS COURT ESCORT CUSTODY SERVICE
31-34 South Bar St.
Banbury, England OX169AE
Phone: 011-441-295-225-300
Fax: 011-441-295-276-803

DUNGAVEL HOUSE IMMIGRATION DETENTION CENTRE
Dungavel House
Strathaven, South Lanarkshire ML10 6RS
England
Phone: 011-44-1698-395-000
Fax: 011-44-1698-395-076

HASSOCKFIELD SECURE TRAINING CENTRE
Corbridge Rd.
Medomsley County
Durham, England DH8 6QY
Phone: 011-44-1207-565-600
Fax: 011-44-1207-565-631
40-bed secure training center
Opened September, 1999

H. M. PRISON AND YOUNG OFFENDER INSTITUTON (YOI) DONCASTER
Marshgate, Doncaster, England DN5 8UX
Phone: 011-44-1-30-276-0870
Fax: 011-44-1-30-276-0851
1,111-bed prison for adults and separate unit for young offenders
Opened June, 1994

HM PRISON DOVEGATE
HMP Dovegate
Moreton Lane
Marchington, East Staffordshire ST14 8XR
England
Phone 44-1283 820000
Fax: 44-1283 820066
800-bed national prison and therapeutic community
Opened July 2001

H. M. PRISON KILMARNOCK
Bowhouse, Mauchline Road
Kilmarnock, Ayrshire, Scotland 5A1 SAA
Phone: 011-44-1-563-548-800
Fax: 011-44-1-563-548-845
Scottish Prison Service correctional facility
548-bed prison
Opened March, 1999

H. M. PRISON LOWDHAM GRANGE
Lowdham, Nottinghamshire, England NG14 7DA
Phone: 011-44-1-15-966-9200
Fax: 011-44-1-15-966-9345
524-bed national prison, medium/maximum security
Opened February, 1998

H. M. YOUNG OFFENDER INSTITUTION (YOI) ASHFIELD
Shortwood Rd.
Pucklechurch Bristol
England BS16-9QJ
Phone: 011-44-11-7-303-8000
Fax: 011-44-11-7-303-8001
400-bed correctional facility for youthful (male) offenders
Opened November, 1999

These companies are in the prison business to make money. And lots of it. They do so by working inmates for pennies per day at jobs such as, making military body armor, furniture, and clothing. Corrections is a huge multi-million-dollar business that even has its own trade shows, conferences, conventions, and vendors.

So, to make the kind of money that these folks enjoy, that means the overhead must be kept to a minimum. And how do you cut costs in a prison? Simple, you reduce medical care and food quality. And, they have to reduce the cost of manpower. That’s a huge expense (training, salaries, benefits, etc.). So, the private corrections companies normally maintain a very low staff ratio to a maximum number of inmates. And what happens when you reduce the security force? That’s right, prisoners are able to use a pair of pliers and woman driving an old jalopy to follow their yellow brick road to freedom.

– Fortunately, one of the three escapees has been captured, However, the capture involved a high-speed chase and a shootout. At the time of this posting, the other two are still at large and they’re believed to still be in the company of Casslyn Mae Welch.

It is not known if they still have the pliers in their possession.

 

*I’m traveling today, but I’d like to hear your opinions on privately-run prisons for profit. Do you feel this escape could have occurred at a state of federally run prison? No? Then I direct you to this article about the largest escape from death row.

*Original opening photo deleted per request of Becky Maxedon and photographer Jayne Hanson of the Lake Havasu City Today’s News-Herald. I found the image online and used it, not knowing it was the property of the newspaper. However, the same image was plastered all over the internet during the manhunt for the three escapees, so it was an honest mistake. Actually, I’d think the paper would have wanted the image spread throughout, hoping someone would have recognized the dangerous escapees. But, they asked, we complied, and we apologize for offending the good folks at Today’s News-Herald.

 

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