How 38 Prisoners Escaped One of Europe’s Most Secure Prisons

On 25 September 1983, 38 prisoners escaped from HM Prison Maze in Northern Ireland. Maze was considered one of the most secure prisons in Europe. It had locked H-blocks, armed security, checkpoints, high walls, razor wire and guarded gates. Yet in one afternoon, prisoners inside H7 took control of their block, seized keys, gained access to a prison vehicle and attempted something that should have been almost impossible. They reached the main gate. Then everything began to go wrong. What followed became one of the largest prison escapes in British history — and triggered an enormous manhunt across Northern Ireland and beyond. In this episode of Crime Unknown, we reconstruct the escape step-by-step, explain the Maze Prison layout, show how the prisoners exploited weaknesses in the security system, and follow what happened after 38 wanted men suddenly found themselves outside the prison walls. Inside the cases you thought you knew. Chapters 00:00 38 Prisoners Escape 01:05 Inside Maze Prison 03:10 Why the Maze Was So Secure 05:15 The H-Blocks Explained 07:25 Who Were the Prisoners? 09:30 Planning the Escape 12:05 Finding the Prison’s Weaknesses 14:35 The Escape Begins 17:10 Taking Control of H7 19:40 Getting the Keys 21:45 The Prison Vehicle 23:50 Reaching the Main Gate 26:10 The Plan Starts Falling Apart 28:20 38 Prisoners Are Out 30:05 The Manhunt Begins 32:15 Prisoners Are Recaptured 34:10 How Did the Maze Fail? 36:00 What Happened After the Escape? 37:30 The Legacy of the Maze Escape #MazePrisonEscape #PrisonEscape #TrueCrime #CrimeUnknown #PrisonBreak #CrimeDocumentary