NCJ Number
67405
Date Published
1978
Length
23 pages
Annotation
THE RAPID INCREASE IN ESCAPES FROM THE BLACKBURN CORRECTIONAL COMPLEX, A MINIMUM-SECURITY FACILITY IN LEXINGTON, KY., IS EXAMINED IN THIS EVALUATION STUDY.
Abstract
IN 1978, THE KENTUCKY BUREAU OF CORRECTIONS NOTED A RAPIDLY INCREASED ESCAPE RATE FROM THE COMPLEX, A TREND NOT EXPERIENCED AT OTHER INSTITUTIONS. TO PROBE CAUSES OF THE INCREASE, OFFICIALS STUDIED FILES OF ALL INMATES WHO ESCAPED BETWEEN 1972 AND 1978, AS WELL AS CRIMINAL HISTORY AND CIRCUMSTANCES OF ESCAPES. ABSTRACTS FROM OTHER ESCAPE STUDIES WERE REVIEWED FOR TRENDS OR PATTERNS TYPICAL OF ESCAPEES. STAFF AT BLACKBURN WERE INTERVIEWED AND THEIR OPINIONS ON THE INCREASING ESCAPE RATE COLLECTED. A STATISTICAL ANALYSIS OF THE DATA WAS MADE USING A COMPUTER PROGRAM. FINDINGS SHOWED THAT THE ESCAPEES USUALLY HAD PRIOR FELONY PROPERTY ARRESTS, NO PRIOR FELONY VIOLENT ARREST, A PREVIOUS INCARCERATION, AND HAD NO ESCAPE HISTORY. CRIME OF PRESENT CONVICTION WAS USUALLY A PROPERTY OFFENSE WITH A SENTENCE OF MORE THAN 3 YEARS. THE TYPICAL ESCAPEE HAD NOT BEEN GRANTED PAROLE OR PROBATION, SPENT AN AVERAGE OF 1 YEAR AT OTHER INSTITUTIONS, WAS RECEIVED FROM A MEDIUM-SECURITY INSTITUTION, AND SPENT APPROXIMATELY 3 MONTHS AT THE COMPLEX BEFORE ESCAPE, USUALLY IN THE FIRST OFFENDER UNIT. THE NUMBER OF BLACKS ESCAPING WAS INCREASING, THE NUMBER OF ESCAPEES BETWEEN AGES 21 AND 16, DECLINING. THE NUMBER OF ESCAPEES WITH A ROBBERY CONVICTION WAS RISING, WHILE THE NUMBER WITH FRAUD CONVICTIONS HAD DECREASED. ESCAPEES WERE SPENDING LESS TIME AT OTHER INSTITUTIONS AND WERE LIKELY TO SPEND EITHER A SHORT PERIOD OF TIME AT THE COMPLEX OR A LONG PERIOD (1.5 YEARS). THERE WAS AN INCREASE IN THE ESCAPES FROM ON-THE-JOB TRAINING UNITS WITH A CORRESPONDING DECREASE IN ESCAPES FROM THE FIRST OFFENDER UNIT. SOME OF THESE CHANGES COULD BE RELATED TO PROGRAMMATIC CHANGE AND UNIT REORGANIZATION AT THE COMPLEX, AND TO THE POLSGROVE DECISION WHICH RESULTED IN A RAPID CHANGE IN THE COMPLEX'S POPULATION. TABULAR DATA, THE INTERVIEW FORM, AND A LIST OF FIVE REFERENCES ACCOMPANY THE REPORT. (MJW)