Tuesday, March 15, 2016

SO, WHAT THE HELL DID ACTUALLY HAPPEN?

By Bob Walsh

Now that the action is over, maybe somebody will do a legit after-action report on the recent escape of two bad guys from a prison transport van in New Mexico a few days ago.

The prison van stopped at a gas station in Artesia, New Mexico. This vehicle was operated by the prison system and not by Ralph’s Storm Door Company and Prisoner Transport Service so one would hope for a certain amount of professionalism. One would be wrong. It seems likely that the prisoners got out somehow at the gas station and the guards didn’t notice. That means they left the van unattended or were distracted or bribed I would guess. It also means they didn’t count noses before they left the gas station. In any event two correctional officers, presumably the vehicle crew, are currently on suspension. There is some video from the gas station, but the state police are not releasing it.

The cops believe that the two men hitchhiked away from the gas station, which seems odd to me. One would think that if this was planned there would have been somebody to pick them up. It could have been an opportunistic thing but if it was it sure went down lucky (if briefly) for the two escapees.

Family members and friends of the escapees are being interviewed as well as the now recaptured escapees. At least one of the friends was arrested on unrelated charges and a couple of them might face charges for harboring a fugitive.

The New Mexico prison system is not a happy place right now. They are short-staffed, the staff they have are terribly overworked and have minimal training, there is a general budget crisis and serious moral problems within the system. The moral problem probably has a lot to do with the other shit. Just a guess on my part, but I suspect it is a good guess.

One thing is certain, either their policies and procedures suck or their staff don’t much follow them. Either way is bad.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

No way they hitchhiked away.