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It appears that Colton will be serving the first part of his sentence in a maximum security Washington State prison.
Aside from the pun, I doubt Colt is really a "flight risk." He walked away from a no-security juvenile halfway house in 2008, but there's a huge difference between that and attempting to escape from an adult prison. I don't think Colt would even consider a breakout because when he ultimately got caught again he'd face losing an entire decade locked in a box.
Colt certainly has a sky-high offender score due to all of the felonies he pleaded guilty to, but with no shortage of murderers and rapists around, it seems like a non-violent offender would be taking up valuable space in max when there's no need for him to be in there. Colt deserves to be in prison, and he's going to serve a big chunk of time... but maximum security seems like overkill to me.
A reminder for those who've read or are reading my book, The Barefoot Bandit: The True Tale of Colton Harris-Moore, make sure to check out www.bobfriel.com for story updates, photo galleries, links, maps and a Google Earth tour of all the sites in the story.
Bob, have you heard any reasoning behind putting Colton in a maximum security lockup? I read an article recently talking about overcrowding in the Washington DOC system; is it a space issue? Or is there some mathematical formula that automatically places inmates with an offender score greater than such-and-such in max facilities? Or are there decision makers in the system who feel that Colt deserves heavy duty incarceration for some reason?
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Bob, I really hope this is your version of a cruel April Fools joke!
ReplyDeleteI'm reading the book now, and keep wishing there was a map of the islands (Camano and Orcas) printed in the front of the book! So thanks for the link.
ReplyDeleteSorry to hear this news re: maximum security. I do hope it's only temporary after he proves himself to be cooperative.
Yep, sorry about that. Planned from the beginning to have maps and photos, but at the end the publisher said they couldn't do it. There's a notice on the copyright page about the maps at the website, but it's very tiny.
ReplyDeleteRe the maximum security: The latest I've heard is that he may have to do six months in max, after which he'd be eligible to move to another facility.
I was a bit surprised a photo section wasn't placed in the book, but I'm pleased you have uploaded some on your website! I'm enjoying the book a lot and I'm very close to the end. I should have finished it sooner but having a 3 month old puppy, who runs around like the energizer bunny, can be distracting!
ReplyDeleteI was shocked to read that Colt would spend ANY amount of time in a maximum facility! Of course I knew it was a possibility but I guess I was convinced it wouldn't happen. It saddens me to picture Colt mixed in with such violent offenders! I just don't think it's right.
Bob, just noticed on the Washington DOC website that Colton has been moved to Walla Walla, to the Washington State Penitentiary, which seems like an indication that he's going to do 'hard time' for awhile. The State Pen facility lists itself as "IMU, Close and Minimum Security" but from what I hear the 'minimum' option is a minimum part of their business. In fact, offenders sentenced to the death penalty in Washington apparently bypass the Shelton reception center, where Colt has been since the end of February, and go straight to Walla Walla.
ReplyDeleteAre you able to share any more info about what's up and whether Colt may be transferred to some other location--like Monroe, which has been mentioned repeatedly--relatively soon? Thanks.
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