Guards given awards for defusing hostage situation

Three prison officers who defused a volatile hostage-taking at Auckland prison last year have received awards for their handling of the incident.

Prison assistant regional manager Jeanette Burns, acting assistant prison manager Tom Sherlock, and custodial services manager Brian Singh were awarded the special commendations by Corrections chief executive Barry Matthews.

The three served as mentor, incident controller and primary negotiator in the incident last August, when a prisoner took a fellow inmate hostage in the prison's special needs unit.

They talked the hostage-taker into surrendering without hurting his captive.

- NZPA