I June: Prisoners at Spring Hill prison in Waikato caused millions of dollars of damage in an 8-hour riot on Saturday.

Corrections chief executive Ray Smith said the incident started just after 10am, when the 29 prisoners in the high-security unit suddenly became disruptive, aggressive and violent towards staff who were forced to retreat from the unit. It is understood the prisoners were then able to break into a storage facility housing sports equipment, including volleyball poles, which were then used as weapons. Cleaning products found in the storage area were used to light fires in the unit’s grounds and items including mattresses and blankets were burnt.

Corrections Minister Anne Tolley said “They bashed through into the guards’ areas, into the officers’ area, then they got all the records and the files and burnt all those.”

The riot was brought under control before 8pm on Saturday after large numbers of police, fire and prison staff were brought in to regain control of the devastated wing.

Three prison officers suffered injuries including a broken arm, dislocated shoulder and facial injuries.

Officials are blaming the riot on ‘gang rivalries’, but a friend of an inmate says that inmates were angry about a new lockdown regime. Continue reading →