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A prison escape, or escape from custody, occurs when a person unlawfully departs from a prison, jail, detention facility, or other form of lawful confinement without authorization. The term encompasses both completed escapes and attempted escapes, including any conduct demonstrating a clear intention to flee lawful custody.

In U.S. federal criminal law, prison escape is criminalized under 18 U.S.C. § 751, which prohibits any person committed to the custody of the Attorney General or confined in any federal correctional institution from escaping or attempting to escape from such custody or confinement. The statute applies regardless of whether the person was serving a sentence, awaiting trial, or held on other federal grounds. The critical element is that the person was in lawful federal custody at the time of the escape or attempt.

The offense requires proof that the defendant was confined in or committed to federal custody, that the defendant departed or attempted to depart from that custody, and that the departure was unauthorized. Unlike some state jurisdictions, federal law does not require that the escapee use force or violence; the unauthorized departure itself constitutes the crime. The mens rea element requires only that the defendant knowingly departed without authorization—there is no requirement to prove intent to avoid prosecution or sentencing, though such intent may be evident from the circumstances.

Escape from federal custody is a serious felony carrying substantial prison terms. The statute provides enhanced penalties when the escape involves certain aggravating factors. In true crime contexts, prison escapes often involve elaborate planning, insider assistance, or exploitation of security vulnerabilities, and high-profile escapes have historically generated significant public attention and law enforcement response.