Exclusive: An Inside Look At A Jail Escape

St. Louis, MO -- Hidden tools, secret messages on postage stamps, and Houdini-like maneuvers; not the makings of a Da Vinci Code sequel, but elements of what seemed like an impossible escape from the Alton Justice Center. The Alton facility opened in 2002. Last year it began housing federal prisoners, which brings in almost $300,000 a year. On May 2, that program cost the jail several thousand dollars when one of those inmates escaped.Quantay Adams used what apparently was a small hacksaw blade to cut a thirteen inch wide hole through the steeling ceiling of his jail cell. After squeezing his 6'4", 180 pound frame into the air duct system, he used the same blade to cut through a ventilation grate. Investigators say Adams then created a ladder with shredded blankets and lowered himself to the ground. Alton Police Chief Chris Sullivan believes Adams concealed the hacksaw blade "on or in his person" when he came to the facility. It's believed Adams used the device at night for a month concealing his efforts with a combination of toothpaste, soap, and water. The jail uses a state of the art surveillance system, complete with 45 cameras trained on every section of the facility. And jail policy requires the jailer to make bed checks twice an hour. Staff members walked past each room, shining a light through the narrow window on the heavy, steel door. The Alton Police and the Illinois Department of Corrections confirms that every time a check was made, someone or something was in Adams' bunk. "We verified the computer logs, and talked to the jailer," said Chief Sullivan. "We also reviewed the video logs, and we were able to verify that the bed checks were done as they were supposed to do."Adams was arrested a few hours after his escape at a Wentzville motel, along with a woman authorities say assisted in Adams' getaway. The pair reportedly communicated prior to the breakout by placing messages on the back of postage stamps. They would lick the stamps, and then place them on envelopes sent in and out of the jail. "So in addition to our current policy of searching all the mail and reading it, incoming and outgoing, we're also going to remove envelopes," said Chief Chris Sullivan. They will provide envelopes to the inmates, pre-postmarked by the post office. Sullivan says everyone from private agencies to the US Marshals Service has reviewed the policies and procedures at his jail. As Sullivan put it, "I don't know that any jail can be made one hundred percent escape proof, but what we'll do is try to narrow the margin." Quantay Adams remains in federal custody, awaiting trial on drug charges. He has attempted to escape from every jail in which he's been housed.