Pennsylvania Prison to Invest Millions in Security Upgrades Following Escape

In response to a recent high-profile escape, Chester County Prison in Pennsylvania is set to allocate up to $3.5 million for security enhancements and the complete enclosure of exercise yards. The unanimous decision was made by the Chester County Prison Board during a meeting held on Wednesday. The prison, located southwest of Philadelphia, aims to prevent future escape incidents by bolstering security measures.

The major component of the security overhaul involves enclosing all eight exercise yards at the facility with walls and a roof, a project anticipated to cost between $2.5 million and $3.5 million and to span up to nine months for completion.

Additional security measures include the installation of 50 to 75 new security cameras, an increase in staff members to monitor the cameras, and modifications to inmate uniforms to aid in the identification of escape attempts. Notably, at the time of his escape, the convicted murderer Danelo Cavalcante was wearing a white shirt, dark pants, and white shoes.

Immediate short-term actions are also planned, such as the closure of areas above yard entrance doors and the assignment of staff to directly supervise the yards. Funding for these security upgrades will be sourced from the county’s remaining federal pandemic relief funds.

The decision to undertake these improvements comes in the wake of community outrage following two inmate escapes from the prison within a three-month period. On August 31, Cavalcante managed to escape by using his hands and feet to “crab-walk” up a wall before navigating through razor wire.

Cavalcante’s escape led to a two-week manhunt that left Chester County residents on edge as he roamed through the area. The prison’s redesign is intended to address the security vulnerabilities that allowed Cavalcante to exploit the facility’s layout during his escape.

TranSystems, an engineering and design company from Missouri hired for the redesign, emphasized that enclosing the exercise yards represents a “permanent solution” to the security shortcomings identified during Cavalcante’s escape. They noted that the prison’s reliance on guard towers and perimeter fences was insufficient, and the layout featured climbable elements and hidden corners.

The redesign plan will replace fencing around the yards with 18-foot-high masonry walls and remove shed roofs that inmates could scale. It will also minimize overhead sunlight penetration into the yard and incorporate an LED lighting system to mimic daylight, making any potential escapes and contraband deliveries by drones or other remote devices significantly more challenging.

Prior to Cavalcante’s escape, state records indicated three prison escapes from the Chester County facility since 2015. However, Cavalcante’s high-profile escape and the subsequent two-week manhunt brought national attention to the prison’s leadership and security practices.

Cavalcante, 34, had been sentenced to life in prison for the murder of his ex-girlfriend, Deborah Brandao, in 2021. He was also wanted for a 2017 murder in Brazil and allegedly killed Brandao to prevent her from reporting him to the police. Cavalcante had been awaiting transfer to a state prison when he escaped, but authorities managed to capture him on September 13 following a significant law enforcement operation.

In a public statement, Chester County Commissioner Josh Maxwell acknowledged the shock within the community, emphasizing that corrective actions were not taken by the prison’s former warden, who resigned before Cavalcante’s escape. Maxwell pledged to rebuild community trust in the prison’s operations, recognizing that this endeavor would require sustained efforts over time.