Corrections Voices: Breaking Down the Wall of Silence In DOC

A young woman steps out of her office into the warmth of a summer day. She walks only a few steps in the sublime ignorance of perceived safety. She doesn't know he's behind her. In seconds, he has her held on the ground with a jagged piece of metal against her throat. She can't move and knows that she is in the grip of an extremely violent murderer. This is what happened not long ago at Jefferson City Correctional Center. The full story reveals that this dangerous multiple murderer was able to escape from solitary confinement due to a security breach initiated by the Unit Manager. When this offender escaped, he grabbed the first staff member he saw. She was alone and the decision of whether she went home at the end of the day or left early in a body bag was solely his. A handful of the institution's remaining skeleton crew staff responded and began to negotiate with the inmate. He demanded to speak with the Functional Unit Manager or he would kill the woman in his g...