16 Most Notorious Prison Breaks That Ever Happened

Proof positive that "open prisons" are a ridiculous idea. In May 2014, Michael Wheatley, 55, dubbed "The Skull Cracker" failed to return to Standford Hill open prison where he was serving 13 life sentences for a string of raids on banks and building societies. Apparently that's not a bad enough criminal profile to warrant actual jail - though he was recaptured after only a few days.