Heat fears for NT prison camp escapees

Prison escapees on the run for three days in the heat of the Northern Territory outback have been urged to surrender for their own safety.

Richard Henwood, 37, Ezra Austral, 23, and Maximus Cutta, 20, fled the Barkly Work Camp - about 1000km south of Darwin - on Saturday after prising off their electronic monitoring devices.

Investigators had thought the trio stole a ute in the nearby town of Tennant Creek and headed north, but the search is now focused on the town's fringe where temperatures are forecast to reach 38C.

"They're currently, our information suggests, in the proximity of the Tennant Creek township," Acting Commissioner Michael Murphy told reporters on Monday.

"Some people saw them yesterday. They are in the outer proximity of the township. I would say they are hiding."

Mr Murphy urged the men to surrender themselves, saying the weather conditions in Tennant Creek were concerning.

"It's hot and they need water," he said.

"They need to come forward so we can look after them and offer a safe resolution to this."

Mr Murphy also called on members of the public to contact police if they have any information or see the men.

They were wearing prison-issued blue shorts and green or yellow shirts when they escaped.

The maximum temperatures in the Tennant Creek area on Saturday and Sunday were 36C and 39C respectively, with minimums in the 20s.

The Barkly Work Camp is a low-security correctional work camp two kilometres from the Tennant Creek town centre.

It holds open-security prisoners and no sex offenders or prisoners of public interest are placed at the camp.

Mr Murphy said the men did not have COVID-19 when they escaped.