Papua New Guinea police say the recent breakout of nearly 100 prisoners from Madang and Lae prisons has put them under more pressure.
Forty-nine prisoners walked out of Madang's Beon facility and 44 escaped from Buimo jail in Lae over the weekend.
The newspaper, The National, says police say nine from Beon have been recaptured while 40 were still at large.
In Lae, 19 had been recaptured, one died and 25 are still at large.
The acting Mamose police Chief Superintendent Nema Mondiai says police are already stretched to the limit
He says recapturing the escapees is a mammoth task.
Mr Mondiai blamed prison officers for failing to ensure that the prisoners were locked up safely.
He is calling on prison authorities to discipline the officers responsible for the breakouts.