 Re: fair game
No - it means that they are free within that area (the 5 wings of the jail) and can't be controlled and confined to their cells. The authorities don't know exactly where any one prisoner is within the prison and the prisoners are in charge. As I said before "on the loose" = free and uncaptured, which is the situation here.
As I also said before at large is less likely in this context, and on the run is impossible because they can't "run" anywhere - they're still confined within the prison. Again, see the previous comments - on the run = in hiding. These prisoners aren't hiding. Their general location is known. |