KEY POINTS:
Mt Eden prison authorities say immediate steps have been taken to prevent copycat escape attempts following this morning's breakout.
Remand prisoner Aaron Stephen Forden, 26, used ropes and bed linen to climb from a tower at Auckland's Mt Eden prison over a wall and down to freedom.
The dangling rope was spotted by a staff member and a member of the public walking past the prison at about 6.15am.
Corrections Department northern regional manager Warren Cummins said remand prisoners had access to the tower area in question to use showers and toilets, but he was unclear on Forden's exact escape method.
"There is no door or ladder to go up there, but he has managed to climb up there somehow and we will obviously be reviewing that very quickly."
Mr Cummins said prisoners were not expected to appear on the towers, which were spread around the prison, and in that sense it would have been a blind spot in terms of monitoring.
Security measures in those areas had been boosted after today's event.
Mr Cummins said it was difficult to make Mt Eden 100 per cent escape proof, but authorities would review systems inside the building for remand prisoners following the incident.
"We need to make sure that whatever he has managed to do, does not get repeated."
Police said Forden was facing charges of burglary and aggravated wounding relating to an incident in Blockhouse Bay in January and was due to appear in court on May 21.
He also had a 2003 conviction for unlawful possession of a firearm and police warned the public not to approach him.
Forden was described as being 179cm tall and part Maori with "strawberry blond" hair.
Corrections Minister Phil Goff last week announced there would be a $216 million overhaul of Mt Eden Prison.
He told the Herald that the upgrade would address some of the security problems of Mt Eden's outdated design.
"With the ability of outsiders to throw items such as drugs into open exercise yards, among other reasons, it is not satisfactory from a security point of view," Mr Goff said.
Ms Hegarty said anyone with information on his whereabouts was urged to contact Auckland Central CIB.
- NZPA
