A report by the state Attorney General’s office makes a dozen recommendations to prevent future prison escapes.
That’s after a convicted murderer made his way out of the Ionia Correctional Center last February.
The Michigan Public Radio Network’s Rick Pluta reports.
The report found half a dozen instances of system failures, human errors, and prison staff not following procedures. One of the mistakes -- leaving a command center under-staffed while officers attended a Super Bowl potluck dinner.
The report says the combination of circumstances allowed Michael Elliot to slip undetected under two fences and out of the prison during a heavy snowstorm. He was captured 24 hours later in Indiana.
The attorney general’s recommendations include system upgrades, more prisoner counts, and re-considering cost-cutting measures such as fewer manned guard towers and ending regular perimeter patrols.