Escaping from a prison is the stuff of action films and adventure stories, yet in reality there have been some truly astounding escapes from some of the worlds most secure institutions. Some of these breakouts were the work of criminal masterminds with a vast fortune and network of contacts at their disposal. On other occasions however, the escapes were the product of desperate and ingenuitive prisoners, acting alone or in small groups. Here are five of the most incredible prison escapes to date.