RESEARCHERS EXTRACTED THEIR DATA FROM THE FELON FILES OF THE VIRGINIA DEPARTMENT OF CORRECTIONS, BUT EXCLUDED FELONS WHOSE ESCAPE CHARGES WERE DISMISSED OR NOT PROSECUTED IN COURT. THERE WERE 86 FELON ESCAPEES FOR THE YEAR OF WHICH 46 WERE WHITE MALES, 35 WERE NONWHITE MALES, 2 WERE WHITE FEMALES, AND 3 WERE NONWHITE FEMALES. THE MONTHS OF MAY THROUGH AUGUST ACCOUNTED FOR 45.5 PERCENT OF THE ESCAPES, WHILE 60.5 PERCENT OCCURRED BETWEEN THE HOURS OF 9:00 A.M. AND 5:00 P.M. THE LARGEST NUMBER OF ESCAPES OCCURRED WHILE INMATES WERE WORKING ON THE HIGHWAY. OF THE 86 ESCAPEES, 39 WERE NOT YET ELIGIBLE FOR PAROLE AND 38 HAD BEEN DENIED PAROLE PRIOR TO ESCAPE. MOST ESCAPEES WERE SERVING SENTENCES OF 6 TO 10 YEARS, WHILE ALMOST HALF WERE WITHIN THE FIRST 3 YEARS OF CONFINEMENT, AND MORE THAN HALF HAD LESS THAN 5 YEARS REMAINING TO SERVE. OVER 65 PERCENT OF THE ESCAPEES WERE UNDER 30 YEARS OLD, AND OVER HALF HAD PRIOR FELONY, OR MISDEMEANOR, AND JUVENILE RECORDS. OTHER ESCAPEE STATISTICS INCLUDE THE FOLLOWING: 23.3 PERCENT WERE SINGLE, 76.1 PERCENT HAD NORMAL OR ABOVE INTELLIGENT QUOTIENTS, 50 PERCENT WERE CAPTURED OR SURRENDERED WITHIN 24 HOURS, AND 12.8 PERCENT WERE KNOWN TO HAVE COMMITTED CRIMES WHILE AT LARGE. FINALLY, 43 PERCENT HAD A HISTORY OF LIQUOR AND DRUG ABUSE. TABLES AND GRAPHS OF COMPARISONS WITH THE 10 PREVIOUS YEARS ARE INCLUDED. (JLF)