Prisoner escape from Ulm: Second runaway caught after weekday hunt!

Prisoner escape from Ulm: Second runaway caught after weekday hunt!

On June 6, 2025, shortly before midnight, two inmates at the Ulm Correctional Facility (JVA) caused a stir by escaping from the open prison. These were two men, aged 24 and 34, who managed to get to the roof of a workshop building by overcoming the structural conditions and accepting considerable health risks. The escape took place on Thalfinger Straße, an avenue full of history, but which was to become the scene of a dramatic escape that evening, as [Augsburger Allgemeine](https://www.augsburger- Allgemeine.de/neu-ulm/ulm-neu-ulm-nach-wandel-aus-ulmer-gefaengnis-auch-der-zorte-haeftlinge-ist-jetzt-fass-110401261) reports.

The police confirmed the escape on Friday and explained that the 24-year-old was arrested the following day in the Alb-Donau district. The 34-year-old alone initially remained on the run and was only caught in Neu-Ulm on Monday, July 7th, around 11 a.m. With his arrest, the adventure of the two prisoners came to an end. He was then brought back to the Ulm prison, where he now awaits imprisonment in a closed prison again. These strands of events raise a number of questions, especially about security in open prisons, which generally allows for relaxed handling, but fortunately now do not pose a danger to the population.

Escape with risks

The two men were serving sentences for a variety of property crimes, including insults and driving without a license. The prison director, Jennifer Rietschler, noted that the escape took place “at the risk of considerable health risks.” In the open prison system of the Ulm JVA, prisoners can work under less restrictive conditions and move within the prison grounds at set times, which also allows them to leave the premises via unsecured windows. However, such escapes are rather rare, as no similar incidents have been recorded in the Ulm prison in recent years, as SWR notes.

Regarding the escaped prisoner, the police suspected that he might have fled towards Russia. Fortunately, it was quickly made clear that this man was not a violent criminal, which underlined the authorities that there was no danger to the civilian population, which was insensitive to harm.

Legal situation and consequences

Escaping is not a criminal offense in itself, but it can result in criminal prosecution if further crimes are committed. The prisoner, who has now been imprisoned, is now being transferred to a closed prison with higher security measures and has therefore lost his opportunity to serve his sentence under relaxed conditions. This represents an important deterrent and highlights the consequences of such an escape.

The Ulm JVA itself has repeatedly caused a stir in the past due to the special circumstances of its institution and the relaxed regime. The open prison system is clearly different from the closed one: many windows are unsecured and the prisoners can enjoy a certain amount of freedom. These modernizations in the German prison system, which are part of a law that has been in force since 1977, are aimed at enabling prisoners to be reintegrated.

It is good to know that in the Federal Republic the penal system is regulated by the respective state ministries of justice. The JVA Ulm, also known for its training offerings and solitary confinement conditions, shows how complex and multi-layered the prison system is. In other countries, such as Austria, we know comparable institutions under the term “justice institutions”.Wikipdia