Two girls caught trying to escape Don Dale

Two girls have been caught while trying to escape the NT's notorious Don Dale Youth Detention Centre - the latest in a string of breakouts and botched attempts.

The current Don Dale youth detention centre is seen in Darwin

Two girls have attempted to escape Don Dale Youth Detention Centre. (AAP)

Two girls have attempted to flee Don Dale Youth Detention Centre, just days after two boys escaped and went on a car-jacking rampage.

Northern Territory authorities say both inmates hadn't reached the juvenile prison's external perimeter fence before they were caught by guards on Wednesday afternoon.

The detainees, who were on remand, were being escorted between prison blocks when they made a break for it and scaled an internal fence.

"The girls were back in their cells less than 15 minutes after they attempted to escape," Territory Families said.

There have been at least five escapes or breakout attempts in the past four months, and the NT government is scrambling to beef up security at the notorious jail.

Two boys escaped and went on an alleged three-day crime spree over the weekend, stealing at least six cars and damaging at least five police vehicles.

Police unleashed the dog squad and tasered Don Dale escapee Josiah Binsaris, 17, who was arrested on Saturday morning after allegedly trying to run officers off the road near Adelaide River.

Binsaris and 17-year-old Trey Mawson sparked a dramatic manhunt after they fled from a low-security block of the detention centre on Wednesday night.

One of those boys had escaped Don Dale at least three times before, and the pair allegedly met up with others before being targeted in a high-speed police chase stretching several hundred kilometres.

An alleged accomplice, Ezra Austral, was critically injured and had to be airlifted to Royal Darwin Hospital when his car rolled during the pursuit.

The 19-year-old, alongside Binsaris, was charged with a string of serious offences including recklessly endangering life and aggravated robbery and is due to face court on Thursday.

The NT government has ordered an urgent review into Don Dale's security classification procedures and commissioned upgrades to the facility.

The juvenile justice royal commission has advised the Labor government to hold off on building new infrastructure to replace Don Dale until after it delivers a final report in August.

The government has spent $3 million to improve Don Dale's security since coming to office last August and says it has inherited a "broken" youth detention system that is in crisis.


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Source: AAP



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