Review reveals how prisoner escaped on Toowoomba Range

Police have been told to double-check vehicle locks after two particular issues were found to have contributed to a man’s attempted escape from a police car on the Toowoomba Range last month.

PRISONER transport protocols have been updated with police officers told to double-check vehicle locks after human error and a faulty lock contributed to a man's escape attempt on the Toowoomba Range last month.

Watch house staff across the district have been reminded to check locking mechanisms on prisoner transport vehicles after Jason Lee Colless allegedly broke free from a stopped van about 8.30am on March 27.

His alleged escape of lawful custody sparked a short but intense manhunt on the Toowoomba escarpment area and put two schools into lock-down for about 15 minutes before he was re-arrested.

Darling Downs Acting Superintendent Stephen Angus said an internal review had "determined the cause of the escape".

"It was an issue with the locking device of the prisoner van, coupled with human error," he said.

"The watch house practices have been reviewed and updated, and general notifications sent within the district to remind staff of the need to ensure the locking mechanism is correctly closed and locked to avoid repeat incidents of a similar nature in the future."

Acting Supt. Angus said police officers involved in the incident had been disciplined "through internal Queensland Police Service disciplinary processes".

Police claim Colless was heard violently kicking the inside of the van which prompted the officers to stop the van while travelling down the Toowoomba Range.

Acting Supt. Angus said it was believed the violent kicks were "decoy".

"While it's unfortunate circumstances that a prisoner was able to escape, police resources quickly apprehended the offender and returned him to lawful custody without incident," he said.

The van had been transporting six people from Toowoomba to Brisbane at the time of the incident.