Prison Upset Quelled At New Plymouth

Press, Volume CII, Issue 30055, 13 February 1963, Page 12

Prison Upset Quelled At New Plymouth

(New Zealand Press Association) NEW PLYMOUTH, February 12. An outbreak of violence which could have involved more than 60 prisoners was prevented by six officers at the New Plymouth prison on Monday night.

There had been an incident in the kitchen of the medium security prison where the acting chief officer, Mr D. E. MacDonald, was badly scalded by hot fat. It was allegedly thrown by a prisoner, then fighting broke out in the dining hall.

Trouble continued today, when 22 prisoners staged what was described as a “sympathy strike.” By the afternoon 27 men had been placed in the cells to await disciplinary action.

Two of the men involved will be charged with assault in the Magistrate’s Court, Detective-Sergeant G. Hogan said tonight. The prison superintendent, Mr L. Hine, said the other offenders would be dealt with by the prison authorities.

Police were rushed to the scene on Monday night and today three extra prison officers were brought from Wanganui to help deal with the trouble.

The first hint of violence came while Mr MacDonald was inspecting the kitchen at 4.35 p.m. He suffered firstdegree burns on the right side of his face and shoulder from a dipper of hot fat thrown by a prisoner. Fights at Meal

Half an hour later, fights broke out between prisoners during the evening meal and while three prison officers were dealing with the trouble they were attacked. A prison officer, Mr D. E. Radonich, was struck on the chest and another, Mr M. D. Shearer, was held in a stranglehold. There were no injuries to officers or prisoners.

“At the time of the outbreak of violence, no batons were being carried by the officers,” Mr Hine said. After peace had been restored the men were locked up slightly earler than normal at 7.45 p.m. as an additional precautionary measure. The police were called and a

party of about 10 sergeants and constables stationed themselves outside the prison in case of further trouble. Mr Hine said that with more than 60 prisoners in the dining hall, the fighting was halted by six prison officers before the situation worsened. Hot Water Thrown

At 10.30 p.m. trouble flared again when a dipper of hot water was thrown at another prison officer, Mr J. Trodd. He was able to protect himself by holding a blanket in front of him.

Mr Hine said he considered the strike was staged in sympathy for the three prisoners locked up for allegedly assaulting the three officers.

Early this morning 22 men refused to leave a labour parade. In spite of the individual approaches by Mr Hine the men declined to move. About 10.30 a.m. Mr Hine decided to remove the men from the yard for security reasons. “I issued an ultimatum to the men to proceed to their cells and was ignored,” said Mr Hine. “After one further final warning to move to their

cells in an orderly fashion, and again receiving no response, a party of police were called in, led by Chief Inspector C. E. Tanner, to aid the prison officers.” Escorted Singly

The men were escorted one by one to their cells and locked up without incident The procedure took about 15 minutes, he said. Mr Hine said 28 men were locked up singly in cells that were not their own. He did not know of any reason for the outbreak, said Mr Hine. As yet, he had not had any opportunity to interview the inmates involved, but he felt that the locking up of the man responsible for Mr MacDonald’s burns had started the fighting off. “The fighting in the dining hall was dealt with quickly and efficiently by the officers, who acted with initiative and tact,” said the superintendent. “Their action prevented what could have developed into an ugly and serious situation.”