A day after her daughter was sentenced to five years in federal prison, Amber Goff’s mother said she wants to set the record straight about her daughter’s participation in helping two men escape from a state penitentiary.
Goff, 24, said in her plea this spring she had bought a prepaid cell phone last summer, which was then smuggled by someone else to Steven Ford and Jesse Bell at the El Dorado Correctional Facility. Goff added minutes onto the phone, which Ford and Bell used to plan their escape.
But Goff, who still worked as a correction officer in the state pen at the time, wasn’t aware of their plans to escape, her mother Laurie Nutter told me this morning.
Nutter said Goff didn’t know of the plan to escape until 11 days before the men made their break on Oct. 28. Then Goff arranged to cut through fences inside the prison grounds and left the men wire cutters and provided guns to help them escape. They were arrested later in New Mexico.
“She wasn’t quite as involved in this incident as the officials would like the public to think,” Nutter said.
12 Comments
This mother needs to get a grip on reality. Her daughter confessed to enough to send her to prison for 5 yrs. What any official or anyone else thinks is irrelevant. The fact is, her daughter is a convicted felon and there are 2 little boys without a mother. Her every emotional and physical resource needs to be directed at those 2 boys. She needs to let go of whatever shortcomings she blames on the prison. It’s a total waste of energy.
You really should read the story again before you comment. The fact is this story is about what Amber knew and when. It is setting the record straight on what she knew and when is all. There are no excuses being made, just facts being clarified. And to this mother it is irrelevant what officials “think”, however it is very relevant what they SAY in the media. If they are going to make statements then they need to be factual. And this mother is firmly planted in reality. After all she lives this reality every day. What is so wrong with expecting that the truth be told? After all someday those 2 little boys will find this information and they should have facts to deal with not something someone twists to suit the politcal needs of the moment. They will be wondering I imagine why what their mom and family has told them doesn’t quite match what these “officials” have stated. Who is telling the truth I imagine they might wonder. But by clearly stating what is fact now, not only will her children know the truth, but hopefully someone will care enough to call these so called “officials” to the carpet and stop the twisting of facts, stop the blatant lies and force the truth as it really was to be told. Remember, it could be someone you know and love someday in the middle of something that attracts the public attention and believe me, you would want nothing but the truth told of the situation.
Why would I ever want to let go of the shortcomings of the prison? After all, aside from the known facts of this case, IF the prison hadnt suffered from what you call “shortcomings” this incident could never of occurred. Think about if for one moment if you will, IF those working that night had done their jobs correctly and as they are supposedly trained to do, this escape never could of happened. After all, these 2 intmates did manage to not only get but maintain possession of a cell phone for many months prior to the escape, and remember, they were in the one of the highest security portions of the prison, in segregation, they also left those supposed secure cells with this cell phone, a tool they used to cut their way out of the exercise pens (with a guard right there supposedly there to monitor them) they were in, and had on 4 layers of clothing. These are facts presented in the case. Yet no one speaks of these things, no one will step up and say IF THE PRISON HAD DONE ITS JOB PROPERLY SHE WOULD OF JUST SIMPLY SAT OUT THERE WAITING UNTIL FINALLY THE ROAMING PATROL FOUND HER. This in no way takes away from what she did to facilitate this escape, I make no excuses, she had a choice and made the wrong one obviously, but I get tired of hearing how without her it wouldn’t of been possible, when in reality without the PRISON AND ITS EMPLOYEES BEING SO LACKING IN SECURITY, THIS COULD NEVER OF HAPPENED. I live every day in the reality of this situation. A situation not of my making, but one that I none the less have to endure. I simply want those others whom without their negligence in duty that night, allowed this happen, to also be held to account. I want the entire truth to be told and for this to never happen again. I would not wish this nightmare on any family, but believe me, unless and until all those who were involved in anyway are held accountable, it could happen again. After all what does anyone have to be afraid of in trying? Obviously so far they have gotten away with it. Why wouldnt they?
Let me get this straight: Goff bought a cell phone and SMUGGLED it into a high security prison she worked at, a couple of months before the escape? She knew for 11 days, but didn’t inform her bosses there was going to be an escape?
Then she cut the fences, left wirecutters for the convicts, and gave convicted criminals GUNS?? And her idiot mom claims “She wasn’t quite as involved in this incident as the officials would like the public to think,” ?? How much more COULD she have been involved??
Wow. I can see where Goff got her denial from and her inability to think clearly and responsibly! The NUT doesn’t fall too far from the tree!
No, as usual those responding are not reading the story. She did NOT smuggle the cell phone into the prison. Yes she bought it, but it was someone else who took it into the prison, who by the way to this day they havent discovered. They were NOT her bosses when this escape was first told to her, she had not been working there for a few weeks by then. The statement that she wasnt quite as involved as the authorities would like you to believe is a true one. They would like for you to believe that she took in the cell phone ( which she did not), that this escape was planned well in advance by her or that she had knowledge for months (which she did not), that she was the mastermind behind it (as they have stated before, which she was not), and that she did this with complete willingness (which could not be further from the truth). I just want you to know these things are not true at all. While her “reasons” for helping may not of met the legal defense level, there are still reasons. Does that excuse her? Of course not, but what would you do in her shoes? There were threats made, there were reasons for what she did (which does NOT make it right by any means) I am by no means and idiot or am I making excuses or justifying her actions. I am simply trying to let the entire story be told, the TRUTH be told. Again I will say as clearly as I know how, she did what she did, and she had choices, and now we all suffer for those choices. BUT, that does not mean that the truth of what happened and why has been told, because it hasn’t. And that does not mean that ALL OF THOSE responsible have been held accountable because they haven’t. THAT is what I am seeking, for the entire truth to be told, as it really happened, and for EVERYONE responsible to be held accountable. That is not being in denial, that is not excusing anything, that is not clouded thinking. That is calling for JUSTICE.
Goff, 24, said in her plea this spring she had bought a prepaid cell phone last summer, which was then smuggled by someone else to Steven Ford and Jesse Bell at the El Dorado Correctional Facility. Goff added minutes onto the phone, which Ford and Bell used to plan their escape.
She not only purchased the phone, she convinced someone to give it to them and THEN purchased MORE minutes thus allowing them to plan their escape.
Who knows…these guys may have placed the phone up their backsides during the day to hide it. Do you think the authorities would have cavity searches without cause? I would think the ACLU would probably sue the State of Kansas on that one.
I think it is hard for any mother to admit to raising a child who made such horrible choices as her daughter did. The House of Cards fell down all around her and now she has the next generation to raise.
Who knows how any of us would try to reason why our child would make this kind of choice?
I appriciate what your trying to say here, but I am not trying to rationalize anything my daughter did. I raised her and until this occurred had no reason to ever be anything but proud of her. I am still proud of her in alot of ways, she accepted responsibility for what she did, which is more than I can say for alot of people. That by no means makes it right though. She was NOT the one who found someone to smuggle in the phone, those 2 men in the prison did and whoever it was came to Amber for the phone. At this point there was no talk of an escape or anything. Stupid choices? Oh yeah, I agree 100%, beyond stupid. I guess I just feel it is important that things be clarified as to what happened, when and why. Maybe that is the mother in me I dont know. But I would think that the truth would be the most important thing. I offer no excuses for her, she had choices. Why she made the ones she did I dont know. Even if I had been in the very same position, under the very same threats, I wouldnt of done this. But knowing what I know helps me ALMOST understand a bit more of why she went through with it. But excuse it? Nope, no way. I am a mother who loves her daughter unconditionally and am not ashamed of that fact at all. I will forever fight not only for my children but for the right thing to be done. I am not asking anyone else to understand why she did this, but to remember that there are other that should be held accountable also. There are others who need to be punished for their roles in this. And even for them it should be based on FACT, not something that sounds politically better for whoever is up for election this fall. The public should have the TRUTH about everyone involved, not just what someone sitting in a fancy office deems we need to know. Justice for everyone and for the truth to be known is all I am after. No excuses, no sympathy, just truth and justice.
Nutter said Goff didn’t know of the plan to escape until 11 days before the men made their break on Oct. 28.
11 DAYS… ??
Then Goff arranged to cut through fences inside the prison grounds and left the men wire cutters and provided guns to help them escape.
CUT THE FENCE PROVIDED THEM GUNS ??
“She wasn’t quite as involved in this incident as the officials would like the public to think,” Nutter said.
AHHH WHAT THE HELL ELSE COULD SHE HAVE DONE TO BECOME “MORE INVOLVED” ??
IT’S ALWAYS SOMEBODY ELSE’S FAULT HUH??
I GOT TIRED SEEING YOUR FACE ON TV AND WHAT YOU WRITE SOUNDS JUST AS BAD.
GET OVER IT.
YOU SHOULD BE GLAD YOUR DAUGHTER’S BOY FRIENDS DIDN’T KILL SOME PEOPLE AFTER SHE BROKE THEM OUT OF PRISON.
TO killerpizza: You like everyone else obviously doesnt read what is right in front of you. Get over yourself first and foremost, then READ the entire article and my replies before you start spouting off. It gets tiresome to see people, who obviously have already made up their minds, make these statements when it is right there in black and white what I have said. But that doesn’t stop you all from twisting it all up and making it what you want it to be. And for the record………you havent seen my “face” in some time now. You have only EVER seen me when I was ASKED by the media, never once did I seek it out. SO GET OVER IT ALREADY!
Hello, ma’am. I am a former inmate at ElDorado Correctional Facility. I spent nearly two years in the B-cellhouse Admin-seg unit. I was released in 2005, and have behaved myself and am now a successful business owner. I won’t say which business, obviously, but I am a computer repairman. I want to extend my well-wishes to you, and would like to offer my perspective on exactly how I believe this escape was carried-off so well.
There are rules in practice, and rules in principle. The principle rule is: Prior to going to yard, EVERY seg inmate is to be strip-searched prior to escort to the “yard”, and subsequent to their return, as well. The rule in practice is: We have 150+ inmates to get out to yard for an hour each and we have 32 yard cages. Pull RANDOM or high-risk (or pain-in-the-ass) inmates from every batch going out for strip searches. Now, these searches are performed with the inmate standing in one of six lower-tier shower stalls. These stalls, while they do offer the guard a total view of the inmate, do NOT offer a total view of the interior of the stall itself. I personally smuggled many items of contraband out to the “yard” on many occasions by taking advantage of this fact. It was never, in my 5+ years of incarceration, necessary to conceal anything inside my body.
Conservatively estimating, %35 of the guards at EDCF REGULARLY smuggle contraband into the prison. Three I knew personally. There is a lot of money to be made for an enterprising guard who sneaks in a cellphone, a bag of weed, or something else. I had a cellphone myself for over a year in EDCF. I was never caught with it. This is not un-common. Many inmates have their own phone, but they don’t use it to plan escapes. (More on this later) They use it simply to keep in touch. You may wonder why this would be necessary, since there are phones available for the inmates’ use; but only if you’ve never received a collect call from a prison in Kansas: The bills are ASTRONOMICAL. The policies and practices of the service provider(s) (they change names regularly) border on criminal.
Escape is a scary topic. Inside, the subject of escape is a VERY touchy one. If an inmate is even so much as overheard making a wise-crack, in total jest, about escaping, he is subject to a lengthy stay in Ad-Seg while his security status is reviewed. So people tend to keep it out of their mouths, so to speak.
The guards are treated almost as badly as the inmates. This is true. The only thing that separates the guards from the inmates are the uniforms, the hours, and the pay. That’s it. As far as I&I (Intelligence and Investigations [or even, Idiocy and Intimidation]) is concerned, the CO’s are every bit as un-trustworthy as the inmates. As you can imagine, this practice generates a lot of friction between the inmates and the administrators, with the guards right in the middle. So many guards adopt survival-based techniques to smooth out their days. Most of them go out of their way not to antagonize their working relationship with the inmates, which can cause problems with the administrators up front. It takes a very fine balancing act on the part of the guards to find the happy middle ground…and it’s pretty damn narrow, let me tell you. Relationships of an inappropriate nature are COMMON in just that one facility. When I was there, at least four CO’s were dismissed for having sex with inmates on facility grounds that I know of. This activity is not, as you might be surprised to find out, restricted to female staff. There are a few very pretty boys in prison, and guards can be gay, too.
Four of the six towers at El Dorado are NEVER staffed. That’s right, folks. Rural location combined with high turn-over have kept the facility running at about %50 of the staff she was designed to run with.
As for how the wire cutters, cellphone, etc. were brought to the yard, that is very easy: inmates bring things out/ hold on to things for each other ALL THE TIME. I cannot count the number of times I held one thing or another for some one because they were likely to be stripped. Once out on the yard, it is very easy to relay items to others through the fences dividing the yard cubes.
But after reading everything I could find on the subject, one thing still puzzles me: since “yard” begins after first shift gets on (around 0630hrs or so), and there is always at least one guard on the yard at any given time, how were they able to cut the actual yard fence itself without being noticed by: A. the guard; B. the other inmates, probably half of whom are snitches; and C, the perimeter patrol that makes the full circuit of the facility every 90 to 120 seconds? The road to the shooting range is regularly traveled, and she would also have had to drive right through the guards’ training facility which is adjacent to the shooting range. That road does eventually dump out right behind the B-cellhouse yard, but right onto the perimeter road. That dirt road was re-graded in 2004, and there are no bushes or trees on it capable of concealing a car, so how did her car, parked on this road presumably, escape notice for long enough? Not to mention, she would have been visible to any of the inmates still inside in their cells who had windows facing the yard, which would be half of each side of the cellhouse. And Several stories say this happened at night. There is NEVER yard at night. So unless they were BOTH porters, BOTH outside working, and NEITHER had a guard present, just how the hell did they get outside? The only way out of the cellhouse to the yard is through two solid steel re-enforced doors electronically controlled from a steel and Lucite booth.
In short, I believe at this point that the ONLY way this could have worked was with a LOT of negligence on the part of the guards. Ray Roberts is all about appearances. As long as his facility LOOKS secure, and he looks good, that’s really all that counts for him. I don’t think your daughter’s role was any more instrumental than the wind speed that day. Anyone at all could have done what she did, and in any number of ways. I know lots of dirty little secrets about that facility, as well as Winfield Correctional Facility.
Oh, and not just Dennis Rader is there. I was right between Gary Kleypas and John Robinson. The Carr brothers are also in B-cellhouse.
Wait a minute. Inmate74649, are you saying that the El Dorado Correctional Facility is so insecure that people convicted of heinous crimes could escape if they tried hard enough? This is seriously disturbing. I wish you would help someone get this story out in a way that the prisons would be more secure.
That said, I’m also disturbed by the conflict between administrators & guards. Something is really wrong with a system that puts guards in the position of finding that narrow path that allows them to do their jobs while upsetting the fewest people possible.