​Geoffrey Pennell, also known as Van Someren, 34, of Church Street, ​pleaded guilty in the Warrnambool Magistrates Court ​on Friday to escaping from a prison.

He was jailed for a two months, which will be added to his existing minimum eight-month sentence imposed for a range of offending in Camperdown including burglary.

Police said that overnight on July 25 Pennell and two other men escaped from the Beechworth jail after removing a security screen from a window.

When arrested in Camperdown the following Saturday evening​, ​Pennell​ told police officers during an interview ​that it was a spur of the moment decision to escape.

He said he was frustrated he couldn't do the courses at Beechworth necessary to help get parole before the end of his sentence in April next year.

A co-defendant had already been sentenced to two months in jail escaping and parity was a factor in sentencing.

Magistrate Peter Mellas said there was no evidence Pennell was the ringleader and in fairness he should get the same sentence as the co-defendant.

The unintended consequence is that Pennell will now serve the remainder of his jail sentence in a more secure prison which will enable him to do the courses required to apply for parole.

He was previously eligible for parole in October, which will now be December, well before his end original end of sentence in April.

Pennell previously twice unsuccessfully applied to be moved to a more secure prison than the minimum security Beechworth so he could get access to the necessary courses.