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Staff at Christchurch Men's Prison were forced to take refuge in a workshop when inmates armed with a homemade pipe gun fired missiles in a protest over contraband searches.
The weapon has been recovered but the shooters have still to be found, Corrections' southern assistant regional manager, Ian Bourke, said yesterday.
He said the alarm was raised after inmates in the Kotuku Unit reported shots landing on the roof of the building on Monday.
"It appears a prisoner or prisoners used a pipe and an air compressor in the [engineering] workshop to fire projectiles at a unit in the prison," Mr Bourke said.
The attack on the prison was in reaction to routine contraband searches that were happening within the unit.
Staff took refuge in the workshop during the incident but no staff or prisoners were injured. The prison went into lockdown and police were called to the scene.
"The department is committed to protecting the safety and security of staff and prisoners and we are concerned that an incident such as this occurred."
Mr Bourke said the engineering workshop had been operating for many years and there had been very few incidents. "The engineering workshop gives prisoners the opportunity to gain skills they may use when released."
Police and Corrections are investigating the incident.
- NZPA
