The Best Escape Prevention

[BOPCO87]

La. warden says his prison has an unpaid guard: a black bear

The way the warden sees it, the more than 400-pound black bear living in the middle of the sprawling Louisiana State Penitentiary is an extra layer of security. "I love that bear being right where it is," Warden Burl Cain said Monday. "I tell you what, none of our inmates are going to try to get out after dark and wander around when they might run into a big old bear. It's like having another guard at no cost to the taxpayer."

The bear was first seen by an inmate crossing a road in the prison on Friday. It was taking a stroll near the center of the state's only maximum security prison, which is about 115 miles northwest of New Orleans. Most of the roughly 28-square-mile prison is run as a farm, but about 5 1/2 square miles is mostly untouched piney woods.

Prison workers measured the bear's footprints, which were six inches in diameter, Cain said.

"Every inch equals 75 pounds, so that would make it about 450 pounds," Cain said. "The wildlife people told us they think it's a big female they've been tracking for a while."

Prison officials believe they have eight to 10 bears on the grounds, said Gary Young, head of the executive management office at the prison.

Maria Davidson, manager of the Large Carnivore Program for the Louisiana Wildlife and Fisheries, doubts there are that many, but marvels that even one was spotted in an area of high activity such as the center of the prison.

"Bears are actually very shy, their tendency is to run and hide," Davidson said.

As for acting as an unpaid prison guard, Davidson doubts that the bear would provide much of a deterrent to a fleeing prisoner.

"We've never had a predatory attack by a black bear in Louisiana, to our knowledge, on pets or livestock," she said. "As for a bear coming out and rushing an inmate, I don't see that happening."

The prison, known as Angola, is isolated and has plenty of other kinds of dangerous wildlife, including alligators, rattlesnakes and wild pigs, Young said. The last recorded escape was nearly three years ago, and the inmate was quickly recaptured before leaving the grounds.

[JCoffin]

Get that Bear a Badge!!!

[LDM]

Start washing the inmates clothes in honey!!! Or whatever a black bear finds tasty!!

[shakedownshorti]

Originally Posted by LDM

Start washing the inmates clothes in honey!!! Or whatever a black bear finds tasty!!

LMAO now that is some funny stuff there!! I agree 100%

[JCoffin]

Give all the inmates sugar donut necklaces and tell them that the units are closed and they need to sleep outside in the tents... Child molesters dont get the necklace... they gotta hold the donut elsewhere with no hands if you know what I mean

[Devenshack]

Thats aweful, how could you subject a bear to such filth. lol

[JCoffin]

Originally Posted by Devenshack

Thats aweful, how could you subject a bear to such filth. lol

Yeah that would be cruelty to animals.. I say we shoot them all.. and broadcast it on tv and let everyone know this what happens when you touch kids... heck I will volunteer my services...I might miss and hit them everywhere else before the killing shot is made

[Devenshack]

Not up here, In Mass they are going against federal law to have sex offenders register in the national registry, big thing on fox news last week, how the state thinks it is a violation of something so they shouldnt have to do it. liberals, gotta love them.

[usplvnhack]

Originally Posted by Devenshack

Not up here, In Mass they are going against federal law to have sex offenders register in the national registry, big thing on fox news last week, how the state thinks it is a violation of something so they shouldnt have to do it. liberals, gotta love them.

i say feed them to the bear and if he still wants to eat let him maul a could of thugs for good measure..

[Scowly]

Heh heh heh, thats awesome. Kind of like our place... Over an hour to the nearest 'city', and about45 minutes from any real civilization. We're surrounded by the forest and most of our clientèle is from the inner city; they think the second you step into the tree line you get eaten. It's fun to play it up.