UPDATE: Both subjects are in custody.

The Columbia County Sheriff’s Office is searching for two male inmates who escaped early Thursday morning from the Columbia Correctional Institution (CCI) in Portage.

Deering

Newman

James Robert Newman, 36, and Thomas E. Deering, 45, are believed to have escaped by climbing over two of the security fences. A neighborhood search was conducted and drones and K9 units were deployed to search the area around the prison.

Officers learned the two men were picked up by a cab at a local hotel and transported to Poynette. It is believed Newman and Deering had already left the Portage area prior to law enforcement being notified of the escape.

Anyone with information is asked to contact local law enforcement.