Rimutaka Prison escapee recaptured

Joey Falau Vanilau escaped from Rimutaka Prison last night. Photo / Supplied

A prisoner who scaled two four-metre fences topped with razor wire to escape from Rimutaka Prison last night has been caught by police.

Joey Falau Vanilau, 25, was discovered missing from the minimum security area of the Upper Hutt prison at 8.30pm last night, police said.

A Corrections Department statement said it appeared he had climbed two security fences, including the prison's perimeter fence, in his escape.

Wellington police spokeswoman Victoria Evans said Vanilau was found at a property in Wainuiomata at about 1pm.

He is set to appear in Upper Hutt District Court this afternoon charged with escaping custody.

Prison Services manager Brendan Anstiss said the security breach was a concern.

"Public safety is our absolute priority and we are extremely concerned at this breach of security.

"One escape is one too many. We will be looking closely to see what exactly occurred so that we are able to put in place measures to stop it occurring again.

"Until our review is completed I am limited in the detail I can provide."

He said prison escapes had been decreasing in recent years, despite rising prison populations.

There was a record low of nine escapes in the 2009/10 financial year, while there have been three escapes so far in 2010/2011.

The Rimutaka escape comes after a Nelson prisoner slipped police custody last week.