We all usually think of a highly secured place like a prison as something that will allow no escapees. Any prison breaks would only be seen in the movies or T.V, take The Shawshank Redemption for example. That idea has been thrown out the window, due to the recent escape of prisoners in the Clinton Correctional Facility in Dannemora, New York. Everyday there seems to be new information breaking through, but there are some real questions that need to be answered. How could this happen? And will prisons around the United States need to alter some of their security methods?
Just as background, the Clinton Correctional Facility is the largest maximum security prison in all of New York. It houses approximately 3,000 felons and around 1,400 correctional officers are looking over it all. In fact, the facility has credibility of holding some of the most notorious criminals in history like serial killer Joel Rifkin and rapper Tupac Shakur. So naturally, an escape to occur must be supported with great care and even a little bit of luck.
To have a better understanding, the escape route of the two refugees has been revealed. Don’t ask how, but the two prisoners, Richard Matt and David Sweat, were able to cut precise holes into a wall touching their beds. From there on out, the journey to their freedom began. Just as somewhat of a disguise, the two left behind dummies to display that they were asleep from a distance. These were crafted by stuffing dirty laundry in a sweatshirt, plus paper mache heads and hair clippings. After entering the hole, Matt and Sweat walked along a six-storied high catwalk. They make their way down to the mechanical corridors of the facility, but they realize they are stuck at a dead end.
They will not be stopping there. The two cut into a 24-inch wide steam pipe, and this was their final obstacle. They left a note on the pipe which read “Have a nice day.” The rest is history. Now out in the open streets, a resident of Dannemora happened to spot Matt and Sweat. The resident said to ABC News that the escapees claimed “We're just lost. We don't know where we are. We're on the wrong street,” and they took off from there.
These two prisoners really must have not enjoyed their staying. All jokes aside, 48 year old escapee Richard Matt is one bad dude. He has been jailed and imprisoned with charges that involve rape, murder, kidnapping, and torture. As a matter of fact, the felon has a history of prison breaks, as he once escaped the Erie County Correctional Facility in Alden, New York back in June 1986. Matt arrived to the Clinton Correctional Facility with a charge of second degree murder, kidnapping, and burglary.
David Sweat, 34, is another New York born felon like Matt. He was bad news from the start. Not even at double digits yet, Sweat was carrying knives into school at age 9, according to his mother Pamela Sweat. It was all too much, so she put her son in a foster home. "I don't want nothing to do with him," said Pamela Sweat to Binghamton Press & Sun-Bulletin. After an incident involving a shooting of a police officer and stealing firearms, Sweat was guilty of first degree murder including a life sentence without parole.
Matt and Sweat were not alone in the escape however. Prison worker Joyce Mitchell was charged with being an accomplice to the two. She allegedly supplied the men with hacksaw blades, chisels, a punch, and a screwdriver. It was also believed by the New York Police Department that Mitchell was going to pick them up once they escaped the complex. She backed out of the plan because she felt guilty doing so.
Two days following the break, New York governor Andrew Cuomo issued a manhunt on Matt and Sweat. “This is a crisis situation for the state,” the governor said. “These are dangerous men. They are capable of committing grave crimes once again.” He later revealed that Vermont could be a possible hiding location for the escapees. After much searching, Richard Matt and David Sweat are still no where to be found.
Obviously, a prison break just can’t happen. But when two prisoners with dangerous criminal records are set free, that is a sign of uneasiness. As of now, it seems the state of New York has given up. Matt and Sweat ran, and they managed to hide. It could be another ten plus years until someone happens to spot one of them. This breakthrough also says a lot about prison facilities themselves. Perhaps new security standards will be created. In a whole, knowing that Richard Matt and David Sweat are running free with no limits is scary. That is all.
Just as background, the Clinton Correctional Facility is the largest maximum security prison in all of New York. It houses approximately 3,000 felons and around 1,400 correctional officers are looking over it all. In fact, the facility has credibility of holding some of the most notorious criminals in history like serial killer Joel Rifkin and rapper Tupac Shakur. So naturally, an escape to occur must be supported with great care and even a little bit of luck.
To have a better understanding, the escape route of the two refugees has been revealed. Don’t ask how, but the two prisoners, Richard Matt and David Sweat, were able to cut precise holes into a wall touching their beds. From there on out, the journey to their freedom began. Just as somewhat of a disguise, the two left behind dummies to display that they were asleep from a distance. These were crafted by stuffing dirty laundry in a sweatshirt, plus paper mache heads and hair clippings. After entering the hole, Matt and Sweat walked along a six-storied high catwalk. They make their way down to the mechanical corridors of the facility, but they realize they are stuck at a dead end.
They will not be stopping there. The two cut into a 24-inch wide steam pipe, and this was their final obstacle. They left a note on the pipe which read “Have a nice day.” The rest is history. Now out in the open streets, a resident of Dannemora happened to spot Matt and Sweat. The resident said to ABC News that the escapees claimed “We're just lost. We don't know where we are. We're on the wrong street,” and they took off from there.
These two prisoners really must have not enjoyed their staying. All jokes aside, 48 year old escapee Richard Matt is one bad dude. He has been jailed and imprisoned with charges that involve rape, murder, kidnapping, and torture. As a matter of fact, the felon has a history of prison breaks, as he once escaped the Erie County Correctional Facility in Alden, New York back in June 1986. Matt arrived to the Clinton Correctional Facility with a charge of second degree murder, kidnapping, and burglary.
David Sweat, 34, is another New York born felon like Matt. He was bad news from the start. Not even at double digits yet, Sweat was carrying knives into school at age 9, according to his mother Pamela Sweat. It was all too much, so she put her son in a foster home. "I don't want nothing to do with him," said Pamela Sweat to Binghamton Press & Sun-Bulletin. After an incident involving a shooting of a police officer and stealing firearms, Sweat was guilty of first degree murder including a life sentence without parole.
Matt and Sweat were not alone in the escape however. Prison worker Joyce Mitchell was charged with being an accomplice to the two. She allegedly supplied the men with hacksaw blades, chisels, a punch, and a screwdriver. It was also believed by the New York Police Department that Mitchell was going to pick them up once they escaped the complex. She backed out of the plan because she felt guilty doing so.
Two days following the break, New York governor Andrew Cuomo issued a manhunt on Matt and Sweat. “This is a crisis situation for the state,” the governor said. “These are dangerous men. They are capable of committing grave crimes once again.” He later revealed that Vermont could be a possible hiding location for the escapees. After much searching, Richard Matt and David Sweat are still no where to be found.
Obviously, a prison break just can’t happen. But when two prisoners with dangerous criminal records are set free, that is a sign of uneasiness. As of now, it seems the state of New York has given up. Matt and Sweat ran, and they managed to hide. It could be another ten plus years until someone happens to spot one of them. This breakthrough also says a lot about prison facilities themselves. Perhaps new security standards will be created. In a whole, knowing that Richard Matt and David Sweat are running free with no limits is scary. That is all.