HB prison is free of fight club

Corrections Association president Bevan Hanlon says he has heard first-hand of fighting at Mt Eden prison. Photo / Warren Buckland

Hawke's Bay Regional Prison inmates are not being forced to participate in organised fights like their Mt Eden counterparts, Bevan Hanlon says.

Disturbing YouTube videos came to light this week, which show gang members participating in what appear to be organised one-on-one fights inside Mt Eden Corrections Facility.

The videos have sparked calls for an investigation, and for UK firm Serco, which is contracted to run the prison by the Department of Corrections, to be held to account.

Corrections Association president Bevan Hanlon, also a Hawke's Bay Regional Prison corrections officer, said while casual fights did happen at Hawke's Bay, the problem of organised fighting, and of inmates being involuntarily pitted against each other, was unique to Mt Eden.

"Don't get me wrong, that does happen [in Hawke's Bay] from time to time - you'll have two guys decide to have a one-out and duck into a cell or a shower block," he said. "But what's happening at Serco is something quite different."

He said upon their arrival at Mt Eden prison, inmates were threatened with violence if they did not participate in fights. The brawls were filmed on contraband cellphones and the videos smuggled out on a mini-disc.

"They come up to you and say, hey buddy, you're coming in the yard today and you're going to fight that guy. And if you don't, these six guys are going to kick the living sh*t out of you."

Inmates who had been transferred to Hawke's Bay had described the brutality of the organised fights.

"They're coming into Hawke's Bay, and they're saying what's going on up there."

The prison used "cellphone blockers" to interrupt reception and internet access, although features such as video recording remained intact. The prison had a large number of inmates who were gang members, but was well-staffed to handle them.