Twenty-nine inmates have escaped federal prison camps over past 18 months, report

Twenty-nine inmates have escaped from minimum security federal prison camps over the past 18 months, according to an investigative news report release Friday.

The report by the Associated Press also face that roughly half of the escapees have not been caught. 

In some facilities, there are no metal detectors or gates to keep inmates inside, doors are  left unlocked and security cameras are broken.

Hiring shortages at the Bureau of Prisons is a contributing factor to such problems or lapses, with some facilities reportedly having to ask cooks, nurses and maintenance employees to double as guards.

Some of the crimes committed by those who have escaped include bank robbery, wire fraud, racketeering and possession of methamphetamine.

Despite the problems, a recent prison bureau report to Congress shows no recent escapes from high-security facilities, the wire service also reports. 

Though convicted criminals who are sentenced to minimum security prison camps are considered the lowest-risk inmates, escaping from such a facility is still a federal crime.