NCJ Number
60241
Date Published
1978
Length
42 pages
Annotation
THE PURPOSE OF THIS REPORT IS TO ENABLE ADMINISTRATORS OF THE TEXAS DEPARTMENT OF CORRECTIONS (TDC) TO COMPARE THE TDC ESCAPE RATES WITH THOSE OF OTHER STATE DEPARTMENTS OF CORRECTION AND THE NATIONAL AVERAGE.
Abstract
DATA FOR THE REPORT WAS OBTAINED FROM BULLETINS AND SPECIAL REPORTS PUBLISHED BY LEAA. SEVERAL NATIONAL PRISONER STATISTICS (NPS) BULLETINS WERE ALSO USED TO GATHER INFORMATION FOR THE YEARS 1972-1975. EACH STATE AND FEDERAL CORRECTIONAL FACILITY REPORTED TO LEAA ITS INMATE POPULATION AND ESCAPE FIGURES ON DECEMBER 31 OF EACH YEAR STUDIED. THE NPS BULLETIN COMPILED, ANALYZED, AND CHARTED THIS INFORMATION. PROBLEMS THAT AROSE IN COMPARING DATA ARE THAT (1) THERE IS NO UNIFORM CLASSIFICATION OF ESCAPES, AND DEFINITIONS OF ESCAPE MAY VARY GREATLY FROM INSTITUTION TO INSTITUTION (2) PHYSICAL SECURITY IS DIFFERENT FROM STATE TO STATE--SOME ESCAPES IN THE STUDY ARE WALK-AWAYS WHILE OTHERS ARE SYSTEMATICALLY PLANNED, (3) THE ACTUAL AVERAGE NUMBER OF PRISONERS PER DAY WAS NOT AVAILABLE AND THE ASSUMPTION WAS MADE THAT THE PRISONERS IN CUSTODY ON DECEMBER 31 APPROXIMATED THE AVERAGE PRISONER POPULATION FOR EACH YEAR, AND (4) SOME STATES DID NOT HAVE ESCAPE STATISTICS FOR ALL YEARS COVERED IN THE STUDY. FINDINGS SHOWED THAT THE TEXAS DEPARTMENT OF CORRECTIONS HAD A FAR LOWER ESCAPE RATE THAN ALL OTHER CORRECTIONAL FACILITIES FOR EACH YEAR COVERED IN THE STUDY. THE TEXAS DEPARTMENT'S ESCAPE RATE WAS 0.05 PERCENT, 0.12 PERCENT, 0.12 PERCENT AND 0.11 PERCENT, RESPECTIVELY, FOR THE YEARS 1972-1975. THE NATIONAL AVERAGE RATE OF ESCAPE WAS 3.50 PERCENT, WHILE TEXAS AVERAGED 0.10 PERCENT FOR THOSE SAME YEARS. MOST OF THE REPORT CONSISTS OF TABULAR MATERIAL.