THE RESEARCH WAS CONDUCTED IN TWO PHASES: (1) UNSTRUCTURED INTERVIEWS WITH 30 RUNAWAY PRISONERS (CHOSEN AT RANDOM IN 1972) AND (2) A STATISTICAL ANALYSIS OF THE PRISON RECORDS OF 116 RUNAWAY PRISONERS AND 319 OFFICIALLY RELEASED PRISONERS FROM THE OPEN PRISON STAUMUEHLE (WEST GERMANY) IN 1972. RESULTS INDICATE THAT LESS STABLE INMATES (CHARACTERIZED BY A CHANGING WORK HISTORY, TRUANCY, AND EARLIER ESCAPES FROM HOMES OF PRISONS) ESCAPE MOST OFTEN FROM THE OPEN PRISON. REGARDING THE DEGREE OF SOCIO-CULTURAL INTEGRATION, (MEASURED BY THE PREVIOUS CRIMINAL RECORD AND THE NUMBER OF TRAFFIC ACCIDENTS), THE FIGURES INDICATE THE RUNAWAY PRISONERS ARE NOT MORE DANGEROUS THAN THEIR FELLOW INMATES, BUT THEY SHOW A LACK OF SOCIAL ADJUSTMENT AT AN EARLIER AGE. ESCAPEES ALSO TENDED TO COME FROM BROKEN HOMES, AND THEIR MOST FREQUENT OFFENSES WERE CAR THEFT AND TRAFFIC VIOLATIONS (USUALLY WITHOUT USE OF VIOLENCE). THE CONCLUSION THAT OFFENDERS SHOWING THE TYPICAL CHARACTERISTICS OF ESCAPEES SHOULD NOT EVEN BE ADMITTED TO THE OPEN PRISON IS REJECTED; HOWEVER, IT IS ARGUED THAT THE LIVING CONDITIONS IN OPEN PRISONS NEED TO BE ADJUSTED TO THE ESCAPEE PERSONALITY WHICH CHARACTERIZES A CONSIDERABLE PORTION OF THE PRISON POPULATION. ACCORDING TO THE INTERVIEWS, OPEN PRISONS FAIL TO GIVE PRISONERS THE OPPORTUNITY TO BE ON THEIR OWN AND SHUT OUT OTHERS. SIGNIFICANTLY, 36 OF 116 RUNAWAYS TURNED THEMSELVES IN AFTER THEY HAD SATISFIED THEIR NEED FOR PRIVACY FOR A FEW DAYS. THE URGE TO ESCAPE THE SUBTLE CONFINEMENT OF THE OPEN PRISON COULD BE ALLEVIATED BY GRANTING INMATES TEMPORARY LEAVES AND WEEKEND HOLIDAYS. THE ARTICLE INCLUDES A BIBLIOGRAPHY AND STATISTICAL CHARTS. --IN GERMAN.