Dozens of inmates have rioted in the Alice Springs Correctional Centre, using parts of beds and fans as weapons against guards.

January 8, 2024

Inmates have rioted at Alice Springs prison, using bed frames and fans as weapons, after a plan to lure a guard into a cell failed, the union for correctional officers says.

About 26 prisoners were involved in the incident in G-block on Sunday evening, United Workers Union Northern Territory secretary Erina Early said.

The riot started when the inmates called for medical help at about 9pm for a fellow prisoner as a ruse to lure the guards into the men’s dormitory.

The officer called to check on the supposedly sick man spotted a mattress missing and did not enter the cell or unlock its door.

“He thought that was suspicious and set the alarm,” Ms Early said on Monday.

The prisoners then allegedly pulled apart bed frames and smashed locks to get out of their dorms, with some setting fire to mattresses.

About 50 officers were called to respond to the disturbance in a common area adjoining the dormitories.

“The inmates ripped apart pedestal fans and used the motors as a weapon against the correctional officers,” Ms Early said.

Bed frames were also used as weapons against the prison staff.

Ms Early said CS gas, commonly known as tear gas, was deployed and the incident was brought under control by about 1:30am.

Two prisoners were taken to hospital for medical treatment and two dormitories that house 10 to 15 prisoners each were damaged.

“There were no demands, which is usually considered that they were just there to cause havoc and damage,” Ms Early said.

Alice Springs Correctional Centre’s G-Block was the scene of a failed breakout on Boxing Day when about 15 prisoners tore through a ceiling and crawled through a roof space before the alarm was raised.

Ms Early said the prison was short-staffed and in a poor state because repairs following a riot in 2022 had not been completed.

“It’s dysfunctional. This should never have happened and I’m just relieved that no one’s life was taken,” she said.

She speculated that boredom and the intense heat in the overcrowded prison, that doesn’t have air conditioning, may have contributed to the men’s actions.

The maximum temperature in the desert city climbed above 35C on 22 days in December and ranged between 37C and 42.5C for the first seven days of the new year, according to the Bureau of Meteorology.

The NT Justice Department has been contacted for comment.