Authorities Continue To Search For Escaped Felon

Crystal Glass

, 27, along with two other women -- April Faulkner and Telisa Chapman -- disappeared from the Raleigh Correctional Center for Women on July 30.

Faulkner and Chapman were arrested soon after their escape, but Glass remains at large.

Glass is actually one of about 182 prisoners in North Carolina who have broken out of state-run facilities and are still on the run.

Glass was serving time on drug charges. Others were behind bars for more violent crimes such as murder and rape. Some convicts have been on the run for decades.

"As time goes by, chances are it won't be in the media as much," said Department of Correction spokeswoman Pam Walker. "And leads are going to go colder."

The state Department of Correction relies on the help of local law enforcement, especially in the immediate hours after the breakout.

Most inmates are caught within the first 24 to 72 hours after they escape.

For those who are not, prison officials say there is a good chance most are not on the run anymore.

"There's a lot of circumstances -- we believe they've either died or there's a good possibility they're in custody somewhere else in another state," Walker said.

And a few years on the run does not mean guaranteed freedom. Last year, prison officials caught an escapee who had been gone for 28 years.

The number of escapees is on the decline as security measures have been increased through the years.

Last year, there were 49 escapees across the state. All 49 were caught. So far this year, 32 prisoners have taken off; only two are still on the loose.

Glass is one of those. Before the breakout, she was scheduled to be released in November. If she is caught, however, she could serve an additional six months to two years in prison.