A prisoner who police allege was the mastermind behind a detention centre breakout was just months away from potential freedom.

Police said Shamus Touhy, 22, and Matthew Piscopo, 19, escaped from Malmsbury Youth Detention centre, in central Victoria, at about 11.30pm on Saturday, sparking an extensive search.

Piscopo was found by police at a home in Ballarat at around 10.30am on Monday.

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Police are still searching for Touhy.

Piscopo faced Ballarat Magistrates' Court today before he returned to the detention centre.

The court heard the 19-year-old was only a few months away from potential freedom and had only spent three weeks behind bars.

The men's escape was made public on Sunday night, when police launched an appeal for public help to find them, releasing their photos in the hopes someone had seen them

Detective Inspector Juliann Goldrick urged anyone with information to contact Crime Stoppers.

"These men are not believed to be violent," she said.

"However, members of the public are advised not to approach either, instead contact triple zero immediately."

Police are scouring the Ballarat area, which the men have been known to frequent.

Touhy is described as 170 centimetres tall with a thin build and red, medium length hair.

Malmsbury Youth Justice Centre has had a torrid time including a riot that involved the escape of 15 inmates in 2017 and a lockdown following an alleged brutal assault on two guards in 2019.

An investigation is underway into how exactly the men managed to escape.