When, How and Where: Recapturing Prison Escapees

Abstract

Prison escapes are gaining more and more attention in the field of prison research. However, time at large is still a neglected topic. We only have a minimal idea about the behaviour of escapees at large. The author has used unique data about 199 cases from the context of the Czech Republic, and analyses the time spent on the run, speed and method of recapture, and escape radius. In the Czech context, it turns out that the search system based on cooperation between police and prison service is quite effective, and most escapees are recaptured very soon, 40 % of them during the first day on the run, and at a relatively short distance from the place of escape. Research findings interpreted within environmental criminology approach yield also some implications for research methodology and practice.