Corrections today revealed that a potential escape from Nikau Unit at Waikeria Prison in early March was foiled because of the vigilance and timely actions of staff. "It is extremely pleasing that staff were alert to the potential of an escape and quickly took steps to prevent it happening," says Waikeria South Prison Manager Kevin Smith. "A prisoner got his thumb stuck inside the cast on his arm during the evening. It is believed this occurred after he tampered with it in an attempt to be taken on an escorted visit to a local medical centre. "The nature of these events appeared to be unusual for that time of the day and it roused some suspicion about a possible hidden agenda the prisoner may have had. "It's not clear whether the prisoner was preparing to abscond during the medical escort but the reservations about his behaviour led to further intelligence being gathered. This subsequently showed there was a very real risk that this prisoner was planning some kind of escape. "A search of the prisoner's cell also uncovered a small collection of extra sheets. It is believed he intended to use these in an effort to scale the fence and get away." Because staff acted professionally and were thorough in their duties some potential risks to the security of the unit were identified before it was too late says Mr Smith. "The safety of the public is our top priority so we are now working on increasing and enhancing the unit's security features so that the possibility of an escape is reduced further."