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Three prisoners are on the run after escaping from Beechworth Correctional Centre, authorities have confirmed.
Police said the prisoners, Billy Sperling, 25, Thomas Smith, 27, and Geoffrey Pennell, 34, escaped from the minimum-security facility sometime overnight.
Sperling is serving time for property, traffic, assault and drug-related offences, police said.
He has been described as Caucasian with brown eyes, a medium build and 178 centimetres tall.
Smith is serving time for traffic, property, drug and damage-related offences.
He has been described as Caucasian with green eyes, a medium build and about 187cm tall.
Pennell is serving time for burglary, theft, drug, traffic and damage-related offences.
He has been described as Caucasian with blue-grey eyes, a thin build and about 178cm tall.
Corrections Victoria said it was helping police to find the escapees "as quickly as possible".
The prison is about 270 kilometres north-east of Melbourne and houses low-risk offenders.
Corrections Victoria said many of the prisoners in the facility were nearing the end of their sentences.
Victorian Opposition leader Matthew Guy said Victorians were getting more concerned every day about the Government's actions.
"The news of more prisoners escaping from our prison system reinforces to all Victorians that the Andrews Government has lost its authority when it comes to maintaining law and order, not just outside of our prisons but within them," he said.
Police have urged anyone who sees the men to call triple-0 or contact Crime Stoppers.
Topics: prisons-and-punishment, law-crime-and-justice, beechworth-3747, vic
First posted