WA police have recaptured two violent prisoners who escaped from a security van in Perth. Source: AAP
IT was "very dumb" to allow a rapist, who later escaped a security van, to be transferred from Perth to another prison to be near his family at Christmas, WA's corrective services minister says.
Rapist Cameron John Graham, 22, and 23-year-old Kelden Edward Fraser, who was on remand, escaped while being transferred from Greenough Regional Prison, in the state's mid west, back to Perth on Friday afternoon.
The prisoners were not handcuffed and the external door of the van was not locked.
The pair allegedly stole a car and were captured at 1am (WST) on Sunday when police used a plane to find their camp around Mullewa, near Geraldton.
Graham was jailed last November for 11 years after breaking into a woman's home, threatening to murder her sleeping children, repeatedly raping her and forcing her to drive to an ATM and withdraw cash.
The victim and her family have since moved overseas.
Prisoners can be temporarily transferred to another facility to maintain family relationships if it is deemed helpful to their rehabilitation.
But opposition spokesman Paul Papalia told AAP on Sunday it was a "failure of the system" that such a dangerous offender, who had been in jail for a short time, would be allowed a transfer.
Corrective Services minister Joe Francis admitted someone had made a "very, very dumb" decision and Serco, a private company, had failed in its obligation to provide a secure transfer.
"I didn't authorise the transfer," he said.
"It was, quite frankly, one of the dumbest decisions."
Department commissioner James McMahon has put a ban on all non-essential transfers, and on Saturday, took the blame for the incident.
But Mr Papalia said while it was a "noble sentiment", it was ultimately the minister's responsibility.
Mr Francis accepted he was responsible to the people and parliament, but not for the day-to-day running of the department.
He said when he took over the portfolio, he wanted to create a new leadership team to address concerns about the integrity, procedures and structure of the department, which was what the new commissioner was doing.
Mr Papalia wants a parliamentary inquiry and a transparent review of the government's deals with Serco when parliament resumes.
"Will the failures of Serco be made public?" he asked.
"There should be an open and thorough inquiry."
Mr Francis said he would not prejudge what the parliament might do, but was aware of the increasing number of failures by Serco.
"They are skating on thin ice," he said.
The minister said the least he could do for the victim was call her and say he was sorry.
"This poor woman will probably be reliving a horrific crime," he said.
"Of course it would cause her grief. My heart goes out to her."
The escapees are expected to be charged with offences including escaping legal custody and stealing a vehicle later this week.
