Prisoner Escapes from France's Lyon-Corbas Jail Hidden in Cellmate’s Bag

The prison of Lyon-Corbas is seen on February 20, 2019, in Corbas, France

French authorities have launched multiple investigations after a 20-year-old inmate escaped from Lyon-Corbas prison by hiding inside his cellmate’s laundry bag as the latter was being released. The dramatic escape occurred on Friday at the high-security facility near Lyon in southeastern France.

According to the French prison service, the inmate exploited his cellmate’s scheduled release to smuggle himself out of the facility undetected. The unnamed prisoner had been serving multiple sentences and was reportedly also under investigation for organized crime-related offenses.

“This individual took advantage of his fellow inmate’s liberation to hide himself in his luggage and get out,” the prison administration confirmed in an official statement.

An internal inquiry has been launched, and the Lyon public prosecutor’s office has opened a parallel investigation into the incident. Sébastien Cauwel, Director of the French Prison Administration, described the escape as a result of “an accumulation of errors” and “a series of serious malfunctions,” emphasizing that such an event is “extremely rare” and unprecedented in the facility’s history.

The escape has raised new concerns about operational failures and security at Lyon-Corbas prison. In recent months, the facility has been the subject of criticism over overcrowding and understaffing. As of May 1, 2025, the prison housed approximately 1,200 inmates—nearly double its intended capacity of 678.

Authorities are continuing efforts to locate and apprehend the fugitive, while scrutiny mounts over the conditions and procedures that allowed the escape to occur.