History Main / CardboardPrison

* ''Manga/SleepyPrincessInTheDemonCastle'': The princess leaves her cell pretty much every chapter. Early on she had to sneak around, but eventually everyone stops worrying about it so long as she isn't killing anyone or staying out too long.

* Wiki/SCPFoundation: There are some [=SCPs=] that the Foundation does not have the ability to contain.

** One of the funniest {{lampshade hanging}}s on this was in ''Comicbook/TheSandman'', when a villain locked in Arkham learns that someone else intends to escape, and on a whim, with no planning at all, escapes as well.

* This was {{lampshade|Hanging}}d in the ''ComicBook/YoungAvengers''/''ComicBook/{{Runaways}}'' crossover during ''ComicBook/CivilWar''. The Runaways end up fighting Flag-Smasher, only for Karolina to bemusedly point out that the kids had ''just'' beaten him and sent him off to prison only a few months prior.
* "Prison 42", nicknamed "Fantasy Island" by its inmates, debuted in ''ComicBook/CivilWar''. It's located in another dimension, accessible only by certain teleporter systems, secure and heavily coded. Many superheroes unwilling to register with the government were locked up there, and were indeed its first inmates. It was supposed to be the final answer to this trope. Naturally, the anti-registration heroes on the outside engineered a mass jailbreak. Likewise it serves to be a sort of {{deconstruction}} of [[IDidWhatIHadToDo what steps you would have to take]] to actually make a prison immune to the kind of crazy shit filling the Marvel Universe. And as [[IKnewIt predicted]] by some annoyed fans, it later got taken over by the ''residents'' of the Negative Zone. Because it just would've made too much sense to place the prison in a pocket dimension that ''wasn't'' already occupied by various fanatically xenophobic aliens. Ironically, this ended up being what ultimately subverted this trope for 42. With Blastaar's invasion and takeover of the prison, the remaining prisoners (who at this point were mostly villains) were trapped in the facility, the portal back to Earth permanently shut down due to a warning to Reed Richards from the Guardians of the Galaxy about Blastaar's invasion force, and any attempts to escape the facility itself would cause Blastaar or one of his minions to kill them on sight.

* In the ''WesternAnimation/InvaderZim'' ChristmasEpisode, [[VillainProtagonist Zim]] [[BadSanta poses as Santa]] and throws [[HeroAntagonist Dib]] in "Jingle Jail." He breaks out easily, because the bars that look like candy canes actually ''are'' made of candy cane. {{Subverted}} when he's captured again:

* ''WesternAnimation/TheSpectacularSpiderMan'':

* ''WesternAnimation/YoungJustice''. After Hugo Strange takes over Belle Reve, the prisoners are to leave to do jobs for The Light and return before any inspections can take place. Even after Strange is exposed at the end of Season One, this trope is in effect as all the villains that were captured in Season One are free after the TimeSkip at the start of Season Two.

Perhaps a necessity in stories which feature a RoguesGallery, since you need to find a way to keep bringing them back but have the heroes seem somewhat effectual. This was particularly true in comics in the days when UsefulNotes/TheComicsCode held sway — the villain had to be clearly defeated at the end of each and every appearance, requiring an escape from either being PutOnAPrisonBus or [[NoOneCouldSurviveThat apparently killed]] before he could show up to vex the heroes again. Often involves TheGuardsMustBeCrazy.

* In ''ComicBook/XOfSwords'', the swordbearers of Arakko offer freedom to Solem if he agrees to be among the champions. Solem immediately breaks his chains and jumps out of the pit. Overlaps LuxuryPrisonSuite, because when someone is thrown is the pit, admirers are allowed to drop food, books…

* Zigzagged in ''VideoGame/KingdomHeartsII''. When Organization XIII puts Kairi in the Soundless Prison, her cell has bars far enough apart that she could easily escape. However, when she does escape, it’s with help from Naminé creating a portal in the back of the cell.

* In ''VideoGame/ManiacMansion'', you’re thrown into a basement prison if one of the Edisons catches you. However, a brick can be pushed by one of your party members, allowing a second to walk free. A key that unlocks the basement door can also be found, allowing any of the characters to escape.
* Deconstructed in ''VideoGame/InjusticeGodsAmongUs'' and ''VideoGame/Injustice2''. After his FaceHeelTurn, Superman ordered Arkham Asylum to be closed for good and relocate all of its prisoners to more secure detention facilities. He even [[LampshadeHanging pointed out]] in an interview how silly it was that Arkham is still in operation when it can't hold prisoners properly or reform them. Arkham is infamous to have a [[SwissCheeseSecurity shoddy security record]] and high recidivism rate, and its inmates are frequently shown escaping at will — and those who are considered to no longer be mentally unwell and discharged tend to re-offend.

* In one of Creator/EnidBlyton's ''Magical Faraway Tree'' books, a character is put in jail in The Land of Goodies for eating part of someone's house (which is made out of sweets). Predictably, he just eats his way out of the prison.

* In Robert [=McCloskey=]'s ''Centerburg Tales'' the town sheriff offers to lock some giant-ragweed seeds in the jail until a safe disposal method can be found. Uncle Ulysses retorts that at least twenty people have broken out of it and it's even easier to break ''into''.

* ''Star Harbor Nights'' pays tribute to Arkham with Dunwich Asylum. Mad scientist Rhyme cheerfully accepts the fact that she'll eventually be caught each time she escapes, as she knows she'll get out again.

* In "King", during the first episode Bob Wire puts Russell and the others in a prison that once you enter you can't leave. Because the door is [[ItMakesSenseInContext "ONLY" on the outside.]] in turn the outside door has no reason to be locked. Russell then pulls out a few loose bricks, [[ItMakesSenseInContext putting them back in backwards so the outside door is on the inside]], escaping within minutes.

Perhaps a necessity in stories which feature a RoguesGallery, since you need to find a way to keep bringing them back but have the heroes seem somewhat effectual. This was particularly true in comics in the days when UsefulNotes/TheComicsCode held sway — the villain had to be clearly defeated at the end of each and every appearance, requiring an escape from either being PutOnAPrisonBus or [[NoOneCouldSurviveThat apparently killed]] before he could show up to vex the heroes again. Often involves TheGuardsMustBeCrazy.

* In ''ComicBook/XOfSwords'', the swordbearers of Arakko offer freedom to Solem if he agrees to be among the champions. Solem immediately breaks his chains and jumps out of the pit. Overlaps LuxuryPrisonSuite, because when someone is thrown is the pit, admirers are allowed to drop food, books…

[[folder:Films — Animation]]

[[folder:Films — Live-Action]]

* Zigzagged in ''VideoGame/KingdomHeartsII''. When Organization XIII puts Kairi in the Soundless Prison, her cell has bars far enough apart that she could easily escape. However, when she does escape, it’s with help from Naminé creating a portal in the back of the cell.

* In ''VideoGame/ManiacMansion'', you’re thrown into a basement prison if one of the Edisons catches you. However, a brick can be pushed by one of your party members, allowing a second to walk free. A key that unlocks the basement door can also be found, allowing any of the characters to escape.
* Deconstructed in ''VideoGame/InjusticeGodsAmongUs'' and ''VideoGame/Injustice2''. After his FaceHeelTurn, Superman ordered Arkham Asylum to be closed for good and relocate all of its prisoners to more secure detention facilities. He even [[LampshadeHanging pointed out]] in an interview how silly it was that Arkham is still in operation when it can't hold prisoners properly or reform them. Arkham is infamous to have a [[SwissCheeseSecurity shoddy security record]] and high recidivism rate, and its inmates are frequently shown escaping at will — and those who are considered to no longer be mentally unwell and discharged tend to re-offend.

* ''Comicbook/ThePunisher'' occasionally finds himself thrown in jail, but it's usually part of a BatmanGambit to kill a crime lord who's already behind bars in the same prison (for example: the final level of the video game). One time Characters/{{Daredevil|MattMurdock}}, [[Characters/SpiderManPeterParker Spider-Man]], and Characters/{{Wolverine|JamesLoganHowlett}} all teamed up in an attempt to stop the Punisher once and for all, but at the end of the battle the Punisher [[LampshadeHanging points out that]] if they put him in jail he'll just kill every inmate in the prison before escaping again. [[Awesome/ThePunisher The three heroes agree and let him go.]]

* In 5th Century Persia, Sasanian Prince Kavadh was twice sent to a place called "'''[[IDontLikeTheSoundOfThatPlace The Fortress of Oblivion'''" due to political upheavals. He escaped. Both times. Consequently, when he had to imprison his own son, that son was sent to a different prison.

* The resident superhero in ''Film/MysteryMen'' (a spoof of superhero movies) gets tired of catching thugs, having caught all the supervillains long ago, and uses his influence to get the parole board to release one of his former enemies from an institution for the criminally insane. However, he underestimates his foe, is captured, and subsequently ends up dead. Notably, [[AwesomeMccoolname Casanova Frankenstein]] is one of the only nemeses he has ''left'', the others having [[SurprisinglyRealisticOutcome been given the death penalty or life imprisonment]] already.

* "Open prisons" do exist in real life, where "escaping" can often be a simple matter of walking off the premises. However, these are only intended to be used for extremely low-risk prisoners with crimes like avoiding fines, minor white-collar crimes, and petty vandalism (and usually who have a life outside that it's not worth throwing away for the chance of escape)--for these criminals, the loss of freedom and privacy is considered "punishment enough"; if someone actually does escape it's the fault of the prison service for assigning them to that facility, more than that of the guards.
** There are also plenty of cases for low risk crimes where the "prisoners" only have to be in jail on weekends (usually so they can continue their careers) or are allowed to go back home on weekends. "Escaping" is as simple as not returning to your cell at your assigned time.

* John Dillinger escaped from the Crown Point Jail (at the time it probably ''was'' the highest-security prison in the country, certainly in Indiana) by carving a fake gun out of wood (or soap) and bluffed the guard into giving him his (real) which he used to take two men hostage, lock the entire staff in his cell, ''[[SugarWiki/MomentOfAwesome stole the sheriff's car]]'' and drove away. According to another version of the story he bribed a guard to give him a gun, and made up the story in order to cover for him. In the ''Literature/{{Illuminatus}}'' trilogy he claims that he walked through the walls.

* Toño Bicicleta was a Puerto-Rican criminal that was able to escape prison several times (seven times to be exact). The next time the cops caught him, they didn't even bother arresting him and [[MundaneSolution they just shot him]].

* In 5th Century Persia, Sasanian Prince Kavadh was twice sent to a place called "'''The Fortress of Oblivion'''" due to political upheavals. He escaped. Both times. Consequently, when he had to imprison his own son, that son was sent to a different prison.
* Steven Jay Russell, the inspiration for ''Film/ILoveYouPhillipMorris'', escaped from prison so many times that his release date is now 2140. He did this by trickery rather than anything dramatic like tunneling or going over the walls though.

* During UsefulNotes/WorldWarII, a French POW made a deal with the guards of his prison camp -- he would be "allowed" to escape the camp to visit his family back in occupied France (with the guards giving him false documents, skipping him during roll call, tasking one of their own to sleep in his bunk and generally looking the other way), and in return he had to promise that he would come back, and bring some rationed delicacies (wine, cheese, cutlery, etc.) for everyone. ''He did''. ''Several times''. Not as surprising as it first appears. Most camps for French [=PoWs=] and forced labor were small affairs somewhere out in the country close to the farms they worked. The camps themselves were guarded by the (newly-drafted) farmers from these farms who were too old or too sick for front line duty. So you have guards who often shared their meals and always their work with those they guarded (and rumors suggest there were also quite a few 'family matters' binding them together). Under such circumstances it is not too hard to see how such a thing could happen.
* Oflag IV-C in Colditz Castle during World War II was a strange case of being both this and an ''[[TheAlcatraz inescapable prison]]''. This is because, despite the fact that the castle itself was meant to keep prisoners in, the attitude of the guards was that it was the [=POWs=]' duty to try to escape. They had a gentleman's agreement that the guards would not go rough on the prisoners and in turn the prisoners would not harm any guards in their escape attempts. This, combined with the fact that most of the prisoners here were sent here because they had previously tried to escape other POW camps, meant that Colditz had one of the highest records of successful escape attempts for a Nazi POW camp. And, there were plenty who escaped from their original POW camps, but were caught before they could get out of Germany itself. Getting out of a prison barracks unnoticed is one thing, getting across an entire ''country'' or ''continent'' unnoticed is another.

Perhaps a necessity in stories which feature a RoguesGallery, since you need to find a way to keep bringing them back but have the heroes seem somewhat effectual. This was particularly true in comics in the days when UsefulNotes/TheComicsCode held sway — the villain had to be clearly defeated at the end of each and every appearance, requiring an escape from either being PutOnAPrisonBus or [[NoOneCouldSurviveThat apparently killed]] before he could show up to vex the heroes again.

Often involves TheGuardsMustBeCrazy. See also UnsafeHaven, where instead of a prison being laughably easy to break out of, a sanctuary is laughably easy to break ''into.'' See also WidelySpacedJailBars, an animation convention that is sometimes comically played with, resulting in this. Contrast MightAsWellNotBeInPrisonAtAll (where escaping isn't even necessary) and TheAlcatraz (which was successfully inescapable before the heroes or villain came along).

** [[Characters/BatmanRoguesGalleryPart2 Mr. Freeze]] murdered a psychiatrist who was questioning him without problems (no guards, or even a surveillance camera on the room), somehow hacking the Air Conditioner systems with a pen, stepping outside and walking to a nearby room housing his suit. Bear in mind that if it wasn't for that suit he wouldn't be able to escape at all. It's comforting that even after a general reboot, some things won't ever change.

** This is discussed in one ''Batman/Superman'' team-up book. Batman meets his older ComicBook/{{Earth 2}} counterpart, and finds out that Earth 2 Gotham is now crime-free thanks to the Supreme Court closing down Arkham and authorizing the use of [[HumanPopsicle cryogenic stasis]] to permanently inter supervillains. A brief glimpse of the facility shows [[Characters/BatmanTheJoker The Joker]] and even Sinestro quietly locked up and frozen. That's not enough for [[spoiler:the new Batman]] in the ''Earth 2'' series, who [[spoiler:shoots the Joker without waking him]].

* "The Vault" was the Franchise/MarvelUniverse's most secure prison, but villains still escape as needed for various comic book plots. [[TropeNamers Its cardboard nature]] was actually [[http://groups.google.com/group/rec.arts.comics.marvel.universe/msg/97d5f38002cf6fde commented on]] by writer Creator/KurtBusiek as the reason the writers had it destroyed. After its destruction and the resulting mass escape (the final shredding of the cardboard, if you will), supercriminals were incarcerated in lesser prisons nationwide, with predictable results.

* * In the ''WesternAnimation/InvaderZim'' ChristmasEpisode, [[VillainProtagonist Zim]] [[BadSanta poses as Santa]] and throws [[HeroAntagonist Dib]] in "Jingle Jail." He breaks out easily, because the bars that look like candy canes actually ''are'' made of candy cane. {{Subverted}} when he's captured again:

* Parodied in the Christmas special for ''WesternAnimation/InvaderZim''. After convincing the worlds that he is actually Santa Claus, Zim orders that Dib be thrown in one of his jingle jails. Minutes after being locked up, Dib realizes the candy cane colored bars are made out of REAL candy canes. After breaking free, Zim finds him and orders that he be thrown in the "Actually strong Jingle Jail". When Dib asked why he didn't just put him in the strong one the first time, Zim replied with something along the lines of "Your puny brain can't grasp the genius of my evil mind."

Often involves TheGuardsMustBeCrazy. See also UnsafeHaven, where instead of a prison being laughably easy to break out, a sanctuary is laughably easy to break ''in.'' See also WidelySpacedJailBars, an animation convention that is sometimes comically played with, resulting in this. Contrast MightAsWellNotBeInPrisonAtAll (where escaping isn't even necessary) and TheAlcatraz (which was successfully inescapable before the heroes or villain came along).

* The ''Literature/SpySchool'' series plays with this. Some captured villains remain in jail but [[spoiler: Murray Hill]] escapes custody no less than three times although the first two times he had lots of help from members of Spyder outside of prison, and the third time, he'd been taken out of jail by the heroes to help track down SPYDER's leaders

* ''Series/TheAndyGriffithShow'' plays this for comedy with Mayberry's jail. The Sheriff keeps the keys on a hook next to the door so that the town drunk can lock himself up at night and let himself out in the morning.

* In ''Franchise/{{Batman}}: The Birthday Bash'', Batman asks Commissioner Gordon how the Joker escaped. Apparently, he had been very good lately [[WhatAnIdiot so they let him bake a cake in the kitchen]].

* ''Franchise/{{Batman}}'': Arkham Asylum is one of the all-time classics, although this was {{lampshade|Hanging}}d a few times in the comics (e.g., as the effect of a curse). Not only is Arkham Asylum worthless, it seems to make its inmates ''[[GoAmongMadPeople worse]]'' instead of better. (What did you expect? It's [[BedlamHouse ARKHAM!]] ''Cue [[EvilLaugh insane laughter]]''.)

* ''Franchise/{{Superman}}'':

** Writer Creator/ElliotSMaggin once had Luthor muse that it had reached the point where the only two items his guards would allow him to have were a pen and a pad of paper. Luthor had, in fact, long since figured out a way to turn the ink, metal, plastic, and wood pulp into a high explosive to blast his way out, but he would never ''do'' so, because then the next time Franchise/{{Superman}} threw him in prison, the prison wouldn't let him have a pen and paper any more.

** In ''ComicBook/TheGirlWithTheXRayMind'', ComicBook/{{Supergirl}}'s villain Lesla-Lar, called "Kandor's most dangerous outlaw", escapes her supposedly maximum-security cell by short-circuiting the energy bars using some unrevealed method.

* ''Franchise/TheFlash'':

* The first time in DC Comics that the Crime Syndicate of Earth-3 showed up, they were beaten and imprisoned in a bubble created by Franchise/GreenLantern, and THEN thrown into a limbo between dimensions/earths. They kept somehow breaking out and causing trouble. Although at first not that often and, at least the first time, only after outside interference. Johnny Quick, Power Ring, and Superwoman managed to escape from the bubble after an interdimensional traveler passed by and somehow weakened it (no real details given). That was about 14 years after their first appearance (real time; in comic time, it could have been anything from a week and a half later). A couple of years later, Ultraman got out, but nothing at all was said about how. Owlman wasn't seen again until the Crisis, and could well have been stuck in the bubble the whole time until the entire Syndicate returned home in time to die in the destruction of Earth-3.

* In ''Franchise/JusticeLeagueOfAmerica'' v1 #5 Monty Moran "the Getaway Mastermind" breaks himself and 5 other supervillains out using a shrinking ray he somehow built that makes them half an inch tall. Then they use a balloon with a container underneath to get out.

* ''Comicbook/ThePunisher'' occasionally finds himself thrown in jail, but it's usually part of a BatmanGambit to kill a crime lord who's already behind bars in the same prison (for example: the final level of the video game). One time ComicBook/{{Daredevil}}, Franchise/SpiderMan, and ComicBook/{{Wolverine}} all teamed up in an attempt to stop the Punisher once and for all, but at the end of the battle the Punisher [[LampshadeHanging points out that]] if they put him in jail he'll just kill every inmate in the prison before escaping again. [[Awesome/ThePunisher The three heroes agree and let him go.]]

* ''Franchise/TheIncredibleHulk:'' During the early issues of Jeph Loeb's ''Hulk'', Bruce Banner was imprisoned in a tiny underground cell, which was designed to gas him if he touched the windows. After a few issues, he winds up touching the glass (banging for help when a nearby fight causes an earthquake), and as the gas is activated asks whoever might be listening if they really thought he couldn't just hold his breath, as he starts to [[HulkingOut turn green]].
* ''Franchise/WonderWoman'':

** ''[[ComicBook/WonderWoman1987 Volume 2]]'': When ComicBook/{{Circe}} decides she wants to invite just about every living female villain to hunt superheroes in New York she simply teleports them to her, including the many who were in prison at the time.

* [[ComicBook/{{Supergirl}} Kara]], a Kryptonian fugitive, placed in one after her capture in ''Fanfic/DaughterOfFireAndSteel'', though it should be noted that it's only really this by Kryptonian standards. She's placed in a bunker that will detonate a B83 Tactical Nuke the event she tries to leave, destroying the entire prison with her inside. It's noted that something like that can't hold her or even affect her and that the only reason she hasn't broken out is because she ''wants'' to be there.

* On ''WesternAnimation/DuckTales1987'', the ease with which the Beagle Boys get out of jail countless times (usually with the help of [[JailBake cakes with poorly disguised tools inside sent by Ma Beagle]]) became a running gag. In one episode, the prison staff decide to X-ray one of Ma's cakes to put a stop to this. Though there's no tools baked inside, whatever recipe Ma used makes Burger Beagle (who devours it in quickly) jitter so much his brothers use him as a ''jackhammer''.
** Taken UpToEleven in the episode "The Status Seeker", when the Beagle Boys are residing in a "prison" that more closely resembles a tropical resort hotel, complete with butler. When the episodes' antagonist approaches them with a job as hired muscle, Big Time asks the butler to tell the warden that they'll be ''"escaping for a week or so"''. The butler's response? A cheerful ''"very good, sir."''

* In 5th Century Persia, Sasanian Prince Kavadh was twice sent to a place called "'''The Fortress of Oblivion'''" due to political upheavals. He escaped. Both times.
** Consequently, when he had to imprison his own son, that son was sent to a different prison.

* Subverted with Coldridge Prison in ''VideoGame/{{Dishonored}}'', a maximum security facility that manages to hold the player character for several months with no hope of escape. The only reason Corvo escapes is because he gets help from some very powerful people on the outside.
** Corvo does manage to easily escape from being imprisoned by the Whalers in the Flooded district, though it may be more justified both by the fact that the prison is clearly made of improvised materials in a facility not built for holding purposes. Corvo's superpowers also give him an advantage.

* Subverted with the condemned cells underground in ''Webcomic/{{Aisopos}}'', a place where Aesop delivered fresh water to the prisoners at one point, where no one can escape. Plenty die from diseases or from dehydration.

* In the video game of ''Series/WhereInTimeIsCarmenSandiego'', all the prisoners you've managed to capture in the first half are conveniently busted out by Carmen so you have to capture them again in the second half. The bars of the prison cell are upgraded to lasers to prevent this from happening again.

* In the old ''WesternAnimation/{{Birdman}}'' cartoon, a GadgeteerGenius once broke out of prison by constructing a suit of PoweredArmor complete with a jetpack in the prison metalshop. After Birdman kicked his ass and sent him back to prison the episode ended with the warden deciding to assign the guy to prison laundry duty instead of the metalshop, thinking the guy wouldn't be able to turn this to his advantage. The villain proved him wrong in a later episode when he escaped again ''by converting a dryer into an escape rocket''. After Birdman caught him ''again'', the warden finally wised up and sent the villain to work in the prison library, far away from any machinery.

* The Meadshire prison from ''WebAnimation/ThrillingIntent'' is deliberately one. [[LawfulGood Gregor]] pointedly refuses to break out, despite this.

* ''Franchise/{{Batman}}'':
** Arkham Asylum is one of the all-time classics, although this was {{lampshade|Hanging}}d a few times in the comics (e.g., as the effect of a curse). Not only is Arkham Asylum worthless, it seems to make its inmates ''[[GoAmongMadPeople worse]]'' instead of better. (What did you expect? It's [[BedlamHouse ARKHAM!]] ''Cue [[EvilLaugh insane laughter]]''.)