Inmates caught breaking back into prison one day after making their escape

Four inmates were caught breaking back into an Australian prison following a weekend getaway, according to authorities.

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The prisoners, identified as Christopher Keene, Ian Mamarika, Jayras Manggurra and Xavier Nundhirriballa, are facing escaping charges and could spend up to three months in a high-security prison.

After the four inmates failed to turn up at a Saturday evening roll call, they were spotted climbing a fence at the minimum security Holtze prison, which is located outside the city of Darwin.

The prison's executive director of custodial operations, Bill Carroll, told ABC.net that security did not go after the men because it is not part of protocol.

"It was dark and the prisoners can hop into the bush pretty quick, there are only two staff down here and to leave the immediate area and chase prisoners is not in our protocols, so they did the right thing," he said.

The group was caught trying to break back into Holtze at 1 a.m. Sunday.

"It's pretty evident the prisoners didn't intend to escape long-term. They obviously went into the bushes and were mischievous with the intention to come back," Carroll said. "Normally when four prisoners will go, it's not orchestrated, it was probably opportunistic."

The four prisoners were rated by Australian authorities as "open security" – meaning they can leave the compound during the week to do volunteer work or go to a place of employment. "Open Security" inmates are said to have committed low-level crimes.

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According to Carroll, the prisoners even have the key to their own cells.

"They could walk out the front door but that's not the part of the program, but there's quite a strict criteria that the prisoners have to meet to ... be placed in the position," Carroll said.

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