Escaped prison inmate on Green Island arrested Monday night

Taipei, Jan. 7 (CNA) An inmate who escaped from a Green Island prison Monday afternoon has been arrested after being found around the prison staff dormitory that night, according to local police.

The inmate, 40-year-old convicted drug dealer Wang Tien-you (王天佑), escaped from Lyudao Prison on Taitung County's Green Island, but was found on the second floor of the prison staff dormitory and arrested by police, who had launched a search of the island for him.

In a telephone interview Tuesday morning, Yang Jui-hsing (楊瑞興), the secretary of the prison, said Wang was found in a conspicuous location, seemingly intent on being found.

While he wore a heavy jacket and a wool cap when he escaped, he was only wearing a sweatshirt and shorts when he was found and appeared cold and hungry, Yang said.

The escape was not planned, according to the preliminary findings of a prison investigation, and Wang is currently being held in a cell with other inmates and his emotions have become stable, police said.

He will be sent to the Taitung District Prosecutors Office for questioning, weather permitting, they said.

According to Yang, Wang locked two wardens inside a prison warehouse, climbed over a wall and escaped into the 15 square-kilometer island's hills at about 2:40 p.m. on Monday.

After nightfall, he returned to the prison area and hid in the staff dormitory, which is located just outside the high prison walls.

The authorities speculated that Wang may have been stressed over his latest application for parole.

With his release still 22 months away, and already denied parole twice, he had applied for parole a third time and might have been worried about being denied a third time, Yang said.

Wang was sentenced to four years and seven months in prison for selling ketamine and possession of PMMA in Kaohsiung, according to police data.

He began serving his term in March 2022 and was scheduled for release in October 2026.