One of the most challenging things for male prison inmates is the fact there are no women in jail. Most felons can deal with the low-quality prison food, and with being incarcerated in a jail cell for many hours on end. But the lack of female contact in jail sends some inmates crazy and leads them to do the most unthinkable things.
When Jaye L. Thomas, 37, was sentenced to hard time at a penitentiary in southeast Atlanta for seven years for selling cocaine, he wondered how he was going to serve his time. But when he heard there was a hole in the fence he figured his time in jail might not be so bad.
Selling Drugs
Thomas had a checkered past already, but when he was caught by law enforcement with a large amount of cocaine which he was selling, he knew he would be facing some serious time behind bars. Soon after he started his sentence in January 2016, he gained access to a smuggled cell phone and sparked a relationship with two women on the “outside.”
Trucking Business
Thomas, a burly man with short hair, used to run a small trucking business. No doubt he took advantage of that fact to peddle drugs. According to a Facebook page he regularly updates from prison, Thomas is an avid Florida Gators fan and doesn’t have it so bad in prison in any event. After all, the jail where he’s serving time has a long history of contraband smuggling.
Meeting T.T.
A woman identified only as T.T. would text Thomas on a regular basis, and the two planned to meet up. Assistant U.S. Attorney Timothy Lee explained that the woman came to pick Thomas up one day in March while he was on work detail. Amazingly, due to lax security measures, Thomas was able to meet her at the South View Cemetery adjacent to the prison camp.
In the Car
T.T. was surprised as she knew Thomas was an inmate but when he showed up to meet her with another inmate, she was even more stunned. That inmate went to a local store to buy some cigarettes while Thomas and the woman sat talking in her car, according to court records from a report on AJC. After that meeting, Thomas returned to the prison camp with his friend.
Flirting With Escape
By all accounts, that initial meeting between Thomas and T.T. was a trial run for him. He wanted to see how far he could push the system and check whether he would get caught or get in any trouble for exiting the jail. Thomas was flirting with the idea of escaping from jail while he flirted with his new girlfriend in her car. The fact that Thomas pulled the same stunt three times was shocking for many involved.
Sneaking In
For whatever reasons, the Atlanta jail turned a blind eye to the smuggling of contraband. For years, inmates have been sneaking in lobster, steak, Mexican takeout, drugs, liquor and cell phones to the facility. Inmates would use smartphones to post updates on Facebook and to stay in touch with family members while they served time incarcerated in prison.
No Women
But Thomas wasn’t that interested in lobster or steak and was far more interested in taking care of his sexual needs. But there were no women inside the prison so he had a problem and that’s why he decided to sneak out. But Thomas wasn’t just texting with one woman; he was in text contact with two, and he was desperate to meet them both.
For Love
According to Thomas’s defense attorney, Vionnette Reyes Johnson, her client escaped the confines of the prison “for love.” She also admitted that Thomas had specifically left the prison for “sexual escapades,” and that included spending time with both of the women who he was in contact with. But soon after Thomas got caught for his illegal escapades, he was back in court facing Judge Thomas Thrash Jr.
More Time
As a result of escaping from jail some three times, Thomas was sentenced to more time behind bars by Judge Thrash. In this case, both the defense and prosecution agreed that an additional 21 months of prison time was appropriate here. Thomas pleaded guilty to the escapes, but he followed a long list of other inmates from the jail who had also escaped and returned later to their cells.
Chain-Link Fence
Amazingly, inmates at the facility were able to escape the confines of the prison walls with the greatest of ease. A hole in a chain-link fence on one of the outer recreation areas was one way of escape. But there were also numerous other “weak spots” around the prison facility which meant that inmates could more or less come and go as they pleased – always returning to jail with some form of contraband.
Serious Consequences
U.S. Attorney Byung J. “BJay” Pak, who was in attendance at Thomas’ hearing said that these prison breaks from the minimum security facility have been commonplace since 2013. “These prosecutions make it clear,” said Pak. “That serious consequences exist for inmates who escape from custody, especially for those who are caught smuggling illegal contraband.”
Two-Timer
While it was admitted that Thomas had met T.T. in April, he also admitted meeting another woman for sex. T.T. allegedly picked Thomas up from outside the jail back in April and drove him in her car to a secluded driveway. The two had sex in her car before she dropped the inmate back at the facility. But there was also another woman, identified only as C.M. in the picture too.
Plans For You
Text messages recovered from Thomas’ smuggled cell phone revealed an interesting conversation he had with the woman known as C.M. As well as sleeping with T.T., Thomas also had plans for the other woman. “You’ll be mine soon,” he texted her. “Yes, ma’am, I have plans for you.” According to attorneys, those plans were “two-fold.”
Using Her
As well as using both women for sex, Thomas used them to buy him serious amounts of contraband which he easily smuggled into the jail. According to court documents, Thomas gave both the women long shopping lists of the stuff he needed, including five cell phones and 12 bottles of liquor. Smuggling items into a prison is illegal according to both state and federal law.
Two-Sided
While Thomas is the guilty party here due to the fact he is an inmate, the women involved also bear some responsibility for their actions. In court, Thomas’ attorney read aloud text messages between the two showing that the relationship between Thomas and C.M. was a romantic one as well as a business one for the contraband. She even asked him to send her nude pictures of himself in his jail cell.
Nude Selfies
According to Thomas’ lawyers, their client received suggestive text messages on a daily basis from C.M. As well as sharing mundane details daily, C.M. would often ask Thomas “wyd” which means “what you doing?” in text chat. As well as requesting nude photos, the woman wanted to tell Thomas that she loved him and was thinking of him.
Sweet Dreams
While Thomas and this woman were involved in a romantic relationship, his defense team tried to argue that their client wasn’t wholly responsible for what transpired between him and the women on the outside. C.M. even texted Thomas saying “I hope you’re having sweet dreams of me,” and expressed her desire to meet with him whenever he could escape so that the couple could have sex.
Bring a Friend
Thomas is many things, but selfish is not one of them. Just before his final escape in August, he told C.M. on text that he was bringing a buddy with him for their next meeting. He said that his friend, who he called “Flacko” needed a woman too and asked her if she was able to bring a friend of hers with her for the meeting. On that occasion, C.M. and Thomas booked a room in a nearby motel, and the rest is history.
Eating Well
The judge who sentenced Thomas to additional prison time was shocked when he was shown the shopping list of items that Thomas had received from C.M. The list included barbecue sauce, frozen shrimp, instant mashed potatoes, Johnnie Walker Red scotch whiskey, one carton of Newports, eight rib eye steaks, 110 clams, and even sushi. After reading the list, the Judge quipped: “Eating better than I do, apparently.”
Tighter Security
Following the revelations of this case, prison security was upgraded at the facility after a full assessment was carried out. The hole in the chain-link fence was fixed, and all other exit points around the facility were checked. Moving forward, it won’t be so easy for convicted felons like Thomas to escape prison as and when they please. Whether for smuggling contraband or for “love.”
