Firebug prisoners removed

Inmates who lit a number of fires in the Auckland Central Remand Prison on Wednesday night were forcibly removed and taken to Paremoremo Prison yesterday morning, holding up court appearances.

Corrections Association president Beven Hanlon said there had been unrest at the remand prison for weeks. Inmates objected to tougher restrictions since the
Around midnight on Wednesday about 10 remand prisoners set their bedding on fire and threw it out of small slots in their cell doors, causing an outbreak of fires in the prison.
privately run prison had come under the control of the public system.

He said prison officers had been complaining about the slots in the cell doors, which cannot be locked, after having things thrown at them.

"About 10 inmates set fire to their sheets and blankets, and we had quite a large number of fires," Mr Hanlon said.

The inmates were relocated to Paremoremo prison yesterday morning but Auckland Central had to be locked down while they were taken out, Mr Hanlon said.

He said the inmates were asked to leave their cells but most had refused and had to be forcibly removed.

General Manager Public Prisons Service Phil McCarthy said there had not been a riot.

"There was unruly behaviour overnight by some prisoners while locked up, which led to the perpetrators being moved to a more secure area this morning," Mr McCarthy said. "This movement resulted in delays in prisoners appearing for scheduled court appearances this morning."