Exclusive: Prison nightmare at Spring Hill - staff sent to hospital, dentist after assaults

Out-of-control inmates have caused chaos at Waikato's Spring Hill prison, prompting a lockdown, and landing at least 20 prisoners in segregation after a series of assaults.

Newstalk ZB today revealed details of five separate incidents over the past fortnight alone, while the prison's director says a review is underway and maintains "assaults on staff are unacceptable".

The vicious saga has brought forward a visit to Spring Hill by the Corrections Association, which yesterday visited the Waikato facility to "sit down in person and pull information out."

Corrections Minister Kelvin Davis has also been advised via text message about the events, the most dramatic of which occurred on Sunday morning.

But he told Newstalk ZB he didn't follow up the text with a call.

"I trust the professionalism of Corrections to be able to manage these situations," he said.

"The reality is, it is a prison."

In a prison-yard fight, one inmate received wounds to his shoulder and was immediately tended to by a nurse, while another was sent off-site for further assessment for bruising on his face.

Just a short time later, officers were forced to step in again, as four prisoners attacked a fellow inmate in a different unit.

The injured inmate was treated by prison medics, before being returned to his cell.

While officers moved the alleged perpetrators, a group of prisoners were temporarily placed into the programmes room, where they damaged the kitchen area and furniture.

In a statement, Spring Hill prison director Alan Lamb said the entire facility was placed into a 45-minute lockdown "to allow all available staff" to resolve the conflicts.

"My staff responded bravely and quickly," he said.

He told ZB a "code red was called over the tannoy [PA system] at Spring Hill Corrections Facility, [but] wasn't fully implemented.

"Fifteen prisoners have been placed on directed segregation as a result, [and] we will provide all evidence, including CCTV and body-worn camera footage, to police."

He said prisons are volatile environments, and many inmates "can behave unpredictably and act without warning".

"Over 80 per cent of the prison population have had convictions for violence in their offending histories and more than 90 per cent have had a lifetime diagnosis of a mental health or substance abuse disorder," he said.

"The reality is the threat of violence is something we cannot eliminate entirely."

Corrections Minister Kelvin Davis. Photo / Peter de Graaf

But it appears that tensions had been simmering for some time.

Last Wednesday, Corrections officers were attempting to return inmates to their cells when they were struck, leaving five staff members requiring treatment at local hospitals.

ZB has been told there was "lots of blood and injury", and that it may have been a gang-related attack.

At the time, five prisoners were placed into direct segregation, and police were notified.

On September 2, an officer was also assaulted, forcing them to seek a dental assessment, though there was no confirmation of broken teeth.

There are concerns the aggression could be down to the limited time prisoners are allowed out of their cells. It's understood they're kept in their cells for up to 23 hours a day.

Lamb didn't deny the claim and simply said the prison complies with the law.

"In accordance with the Corrections Act 2004, every prisoner is afforded a number of minimum entitlements, including the provision of at least one hour of physical exercise on a daily basis."

"At Spring Hill we ensure minimum entitlements are being provided," he said.

He accepted Corrections was struggling when it came to staffing due to "Covid-19 stressors, border closures and record low unemployment rates making it more challenging to recruit and retain staff".

In fact, four of the officers assaulted in the Wednesday attack returned to their duties the next day.

One stayed home to recover.

Davis said he was "pleased to hear" many of them were back at work.

"It's up to the Corrections officers themselves, to a large extent.

"Those who would like a call from me, I pick up the phone ... and say take the time you need," he said.

Asked if he had any specific concerns about Spring Hill prison, Davis was blunt.

"The answer is, no.

"I'm always thinking about what we need to do in all of the prisons."

Corrections Association president Floyd du Plessis said while staff often want to be on the ground, there's a hidden cost of returning to the job just hours after a serious event.

"The one area that's never captured very well, and it is a problem in the area that we work in, is the mental harm injury that comes from these things."

"It's taking that time to have a break ... and come to terms with what you've just gone through."

National Party corrections spokesman Simon O'Connor was on the same page.

"It speaks volumes of those frontline officers and their commitment ... but it's a sign of the enormous pressure the system is under."

"I can't help feel there's an element of these people being encouraged to get back into line to fill gaps," he said.

O'Connor said the way prisons are currently being run is increasing the risk to staff.

"Kelvin Davis and the Government [are] ignoring all the warnings being put out there that this is going to happen, and will continue to get worse."