How to prevent prisoners from attempting to escape?

[PainFoinmr]

Title says it.
It's quite funny though. I had a little less than 50 prisoners, and during night everyone sleeps. At morning, it's like zombie apocalypse. About 10 exclamation marks appears and prisoners try to escape. Of course, guards stop them all and they receive 4 hours in solitary.
How do I make them happier with staying in my prison?
Also, how should I improve prisoner needs for privacy and freedom?

[Peter Pan]

Prisoners generally always try to escape if there is an unblocked route to the edge of the map. You need to wall in your prison with one prison door as an opening.

To improve privacy need, simply give your prisoners a personal cell instead of that holding cell.

Freedom I don't know specifically what you need to do, I remember mine was high then somehow it decreases. I think time spent outside of their cell like yard, eating, shower, free time should lower it.

[PainFoinmr]

So, I had fence all around the map and a free space between fence in deliveries zone. So that's why they tried to escape? I should build a prison door there instead of just a free space?

[DigitalImpostor]

Originally posted by PainFoinmr:

So, I had fence all around the map and a free space between fence in deliveries zone. So that's why they tried to escape? I should build a prison door there instead of just a free space?

That's exactly why they're trying to escape.

[Doof]

You are one cruel warden. Putting an exit so within reach but covered in guards.

Generally the need for Freedom goes down once they start accepting that there is no easy way out. Sure they will try to tunnel out, but frequent cell block searches keeps that in check.

[Mendacious Calamity]

So hang on, you left a free path to the outside, with no gates in between, and you're wondering why they all try to escape all the time?

It's a PRISON. Of course they'll all walk out if you leave a gap in your fence and don't put a door in it! ;)

[PainFoinmr]

Originally posted by my•glass•eye:

So hang on, you left a free path to the outside, with no gates in between, and you're wondering why they all try to escape all the time?

But there are guards there :D

[ReCo]

Guard reactions are low as ♥♥♥♥, until they realize the prisoners are on the way out of the map, the prisoners have a big advance. And they can only stop one prisoners at a time, so if 10 prisoners are running away and you have only 2 guards, 8 of them will escape i think ;-)

Also i would playe at least 2 doors, otherwise the prisoners will try to escape when the door is open (e.g. a worker is walking through the door). 2 or more doors will lower the risk of that.

[Mendacious Calamity]

Originally posted by PainFoinmr:

Originally posted by my•glass•eye:

So hang on, you left a free path to the outside, with no gates in between, and you're wondering why they all try to escape all the time?

But there are guards there :D

Sure. But there's also a gaping wide hole staring them in the face. Of course they run for it.

[infestedchris]

I have a similar issue. I have like 10 metal detectors through out the most contraband heavy areas, but people still have so many items when I do a search check. But the thing about my prison is that some of my cells are just 3 blocks away from the edge of the map with a chain fence on the boarder. But there is one block that is red, I can't even build there, it's one block past my chain fence wall. Prisoners tunnel out in the red zone and are instantly gone. They tunnel right out into the red zone, and they are instantly gone. I will do a cell search and in the middle of the search 3 escape attempts at the same time, 2 got away.

[Mendacious Calamity]

Metal detectors won't catch everything so with enohgh prisoners you're guaranteed to have a few tunneling tools in the prison blocks at night. To help cut down on successful tunnelling get some dogs out on permanent patrol around your prison blocks, particularly the areas close to the fence where they usually head to.

[infestedchris]

Originally posted by my•glass•eye:

Metal detectors won't catch everything so with enohgh prisoners you're guaranteed to have a few tunneling tools in the prison blocks at night. To help cut down on successful tunnelling get some dogs out on permanent patrol around your prison blocks, particularly the areas close to the fence where they usually head to.

I been patrolling my 2 dogs in front of the cells. They are constantly catching contraband. But you are saying to put the dogs on the outside walls?

[Mendacious Calamity]

Originally posted by infestedchris:

Originally posted by my•glass•eye:

Metal detectors won't catch everything so with enohgh prisoners you're guaranteed to have a few tunneling tools in the prison blocks at night. To help cut down on successful tunnelling get some dogs out on permanent patrol around your prison blocks, particularly the areas close to the fence where they usually head to.

I been patrolling my 2 dogs in front of the cells. They are constantly catching contraband. But you are saying to put the dogs on the outside walls?

I wouldn't bother running the dog patrols inside your cell blocks, they're best used in your situation outside sniffing for tunnels and keeping an eye out for errant prisoners.

I run a patrol around the outside of the buildings that house the cells. Then I stick a few dog patrols on them and leave them to it.

[infestedchris]

Originally posted by my•glass•eye:

Originally posted by infestedchris:

I been patrolling my 2 dogs in front of the cells. They are constantly catching contraband. But you are saying to put the dogs on the outside walls?

I wouldn't bother running the dog patrols inside your cell blocks, they're best used in your situation outside sniffing for tunnels and keeping an eye out for errant prisoners.

I run a patrol around the outside of the buildings that house the cells. Then I stick a few dog patrols on them and leave them to it.

Sounds like a good idea, hopefully when I get home after work I can see if there is enough room between the wall and my fence. I will just get 2 more dogs for outside.

But my problem is when they tunnel out, you don't get to see them run, you just see the tunnel then the message appear lol. it's because it's right on the border.

[Deadpan Serious]

Originally posted by PainFoinmr:

So, I had fence all around the map and a free space between fence in deliveries zone. So that's why they tried to escape? I should build a prison door there instead of just a free space?

i'd recommend a Staff Door. otherwise your workers need to wait for Guards all the time. if you're worried they'll break through the door just make sure they need to break through two doors before they get out.

at some point they will make the Staff keys steal/lootable i'm sure. but for now we can exploit the lack thereof. in fact, i use Staff Doors for Cells doors.

Originally posted by PainFoinmr:

Originally posted by my•glass•eye:

So hang on, you left a free path to the outside, with no gates in between, and you're wondering why they all try to escape all the time?

But there are guards there :D

oh, the entrapment. you are truly evil.

Originally posted by my•glass•eye:

Metal detectors won't catch everything so with enohgh prisoners you're guaranteed to have a few tunneling tools in the prison blocks at night. To help cut down on successful tunnelling get some dogs out on permanent patrol around your prison blocks, particularly the areas close to the fence where they usually head to.

wow, dogs can smell tunnels? now that's some Superdogs.

Originally posted by infestedchris:

Originally posted by my•glass•eye:

Metal detectors won't catch everything so with enohgh prisoners you're guaranteed to have a few tunneling tools in the prison blocks at night. To help cut down on successful tunnelling get some dogs out on permanent patrol around your prison blocks, particularly the areas close to the fence where they usually head to.

I been patrolling my 2 dogs in front of the cells. They are constantly catching contraband. But you are saying to put the dogs on the outside walls?

he means outside of the internal enclosure. i think most players, like most real prisons, use a double enclosure. it's really nice, saves you a lot of headaches from escapes because you broke down a wall before building a new wall etc, and this .. margin or bufferzone if you will can also be used by Staff, which is great for your Workmen. i also put my Storage there, and the Water Pump and Power Station, even my Solitaries.
this is where glass eye has his Dogs Patrol.
oh, Fences are the easiest and cheapest (free in fact) way to make the outer enclosure. first thing i do when i build a prison is erect a fence along the maps edges.