Charges have been laid against two men in the shooting of a sheriff at the courthouse in Whitecourt, Alta.

The sheriff was shot in the hand on Tuesday morning before two prisoners fled in a sheriff’s van. They were later arrested by RCMP at a residence outside of Whitecourt.

Jake Allan MacIntyre, 22, and Clayton Lee Ness, 29, face 10 charges each including robbery with a firearm, two counts of aggravated assault and assault with a weapon.

Alberta Justice Minister Jonathan Denis said he spoke to the injured sheriff by phone earlier on Wednesday.

Justice Minister Jonathan Denis said that security will be reviewed at all courthouses in Alberta. (CBC)

The sheriff is expected to make a full recovery after he undergoes surgery.

"He's in very good spirits," Denis said.

"He's happy that his condition is not life-threatening. Thankfully, it looks like he's going to be ok. But at the same time he's very shaken up and I've advised him to take as much time as he needs."

The shooting has raised questions about security in smaller provincial courthouses like the one in Whitecourt, which doesn’t have a metal detector.

Denis said his department will do a full review of security at courthouses across the province after the criminal investigation in the Whitecourt shooting is complete.