Hundreds Of Georgia Inmates Escape — But Not For Long

Fear and a frantic national search followed the escape last month of a pair of armed robbers who allegedly killed two correctional officers along a rural stretch of highway in Putnam County.

Prison breaks are often the stuff of Hollywood movies. But how often do convicts actually get loose?

An Atlanta Journal-Constitution review of data found that Georgia has recorded hundreds of inmate “escapes” in the past seven years. But few of them spur the kind of national dragnet that Ricky Dubose and Donnie Russell Rowe’s short-lived bid for freedom did. In fact, most are inmates on the verge of being released who simply walk away, records show. And more than half are back behind bars within days.