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The prisoner who escaped from Auckland's ageing Mt Eden Prison using a rope made out of bedsheets was helped by five other inmates.
Aaron Forden's Houdini-style getaway on Monday has sparked an internal review by Corrections, which will include a look at prison staffing levels.
Forden was among 60 inmates in the northern wing, usually manned by at least four prison officers. However, on the morning of the escape only three wardens were at work, and two may have been helping with prisoner transfers.
Forden was lifted through a hatch into a ceiling cavity before lowering himself over the fence to freedom. He was recaptured on Thursday in Papatoetoe.
Corrections would not answer specific questions about the escape, saying that could compromise the integrity of the police investigation.
But a Herald on Sunday source said the escape had been planned some time ago and there was speculation Forden may have had inside help. The fact six inmates broke away from the bunch undetected had created a lot of talk in the prison, the source said.
