December 16, 2017
DEC. 16, 2017
Contact: Public Information Officer Chris Gautz (517) 403-4403
A prisoner at the Special Alternative Incarceration facility in Chelsea, escaped briefly Saturday afternoon, and is back under the supervision of the Michigan Department of Corrections.
Matthew Aires Genther, 37, escaped from the facility by climbing the fence at 3:08 p.m. As it was discovered he was missing, the facility initiated an emergency count and contacted local law enforcement.
The department mobilized its Emergency Response Team and its Absconder Recovery Unit to aid in the search.
The Michigan State Police found him in an unoccupied home near the facility that he had broken into. He was discovered with what appeared to be self-inflicted wounds and was transported to an area hospital for treatment.
Genther was previously serving probation for possession of methamphetamine. Following a probation violation, he was sentenced in September out of Van Buren County to go through the 90-day program at the Special Alternative Incarceration facility. Upon successful completion of that program in mid-January, he would have been released.
SAI is a program for prisoners and probationers that utilizes military-style exercise and cognitive-based programming in a highly structured environment.
