Just 90 miles north of New York City, a female correctional officer was discovered missing from her post at the prison.

There was no trace of her anywhere inside the prison. None of the inmates or guards knew where she went or reported seeing anything suspicious.

How could a guard simply disappear in an overcrowded maximum security prison?

Music Green Haven State Correctional Facility, one of the toughest maximum security prisons in the United States,

a violent, overcrowded space that is home to 1,800 of New York State's most violent criminals.

Greenhaven, I think at that time, had to be considered our supermax prison in the state.

And everybody in there had a long time.

Everybody in there was a vicious criminal.

There were no newcomers.

It was a pretty bad place as far as the population was

concerned. More than 500 prisoners inside Greenhaven were convicted murderers.

1981 was the first year female correctional officers worked in this all-male maximum security prison. There were 50 on staff,

all new to the job. One of them was 31-year-old Donna Payant. If I want to describe Donna and

her personality, I would describe her as a very strong, willed, independent, determined person and with a strong sense of justice.

Donna had three children.

Her husband was also a corrections officer but worked at another prison.

Although her family came to accept her job, Joyce,

some of the men working inside the prison establishment did not.

While at the training academy,

an instructor entered Donna's room at night uninvited.

Donna responded by filing a sexual harassment lawsuit, but later thought better of it

and dropped the suit. On May 15, 1981, Donna punched in just afternoon for the one-to-nine shift.

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