Matthew Joseph Dent appeared in Grafton Local Court yesterday where he admitted to escaping from the Glen Innes Correctional Centre on Monday, after stealing a prison garbage truck and driving out.

Dent was given access to the Isuzu truck inside the prison before he drove out of the prison grounds, and fled towards the coast.

His attempt at freedom was short lived after he was intercepted by off-duty Corrections officers about 10km out of Grafton, and surrendered.

The 45-year-old was serving a sentence at the minimum-security prison until late June, 2016, but will now have to serve an extra three months behind bars.

Magistrate Robyn Denes accepted the guilty pleas to charges of escaping lawful custody and using a conveyance without consent, before imposing an extra three months onto his sentence.

He will also be on parole for four months when he is due for release in September next year for the truck theft.

The Leader understands Dent will now be re-classified as a higher-risk inmate and moved to another prison.

On Monday night, Corrective Services issued a statement to The Leader confirming police were called in after a staff member recaptured the 45-year-old.

The spokesperson also confirmed inquiries into the incident were continuing.

Dent is the third inmate to escape from the minimum-security prison at Glen Innes in less than a month, after two prisoners absconded from their unit on October 27.

Joshua Laszuck was recaptured on the side of the road near the prison the following morning but Marcus Buchanan remains on the run from authorities.