Guards lacked breathing gear

Press, 14 April 1989, Page 5

Guards lacked breathing gear

Addington prison officers had to enter the smoke-filled prison corridors without breathing apparatus after October’s four-hour riot to release inmates still held in their cells. The inquiry into the riot by the senior inspector of penal institutions for the South Island, Mr Tony Coyle, has expressed concern that no breathing apparatus sets were available for prison officers at Addington. When fire-fighters prepared to enter the wing, a prison officer asked for a set so that he could go with them. The request was refused because the officer had no training to use it. But the fire-fighters had no knowledge of how to open cell doors. “What happened was the prison officers entered the smoke-filled wing without breathing apparatus to open the cell doors,” he said. Improved fire-fighting arrangements are among Mr Coyle’s list of recommendations in the report. He has asked for a sprinkler system to be

installed at Addington, the only prison in the Christchurch area without one. "If sprinkers had been installed then the fires would almost certainly not have reached the lifethreatening stage that they did,” he said. He also wants a fire escape and rear entry doorway built to allow access upstairs in an emergency, at least two breathing apparatus sets to be provided, and officers trained to use them, and also to receive fire-fighting training. The area between the upper landing and ground floor inside the prison should be meshed over. Rioters threw things from this area, and some prisoners and tried to commit suicide by jumping from there in the past. Senior staff should be trained in negotiating techniques. All tools should be removed from prisons when not in use, or securely locked well away from inmates. Visitors should face stricter rules, he recommended. Proof of identification

could be required, and notices stating they could be searched should be placed at all entrances. Mr Coyle also called for increased camera coverage around the prison. He also wanted alternative access to the prison’s segregation unit established. During the riot, officers were worried about the safety of the inmates in this unit, especially one who had had a “contract” out on him. “After the officers had withdrawn from the wing, they had no way of getting to the unit as the inmates involved in the disturbance had control of the accessway to the unit,” he said. He suggested the department should provide more funds for alcohol and drug treatment programmes. At present, $75,000 a year was spread over 20 institutions and more than 3500 inmates. Many officers had mentioned the need for riot control training, and Mr Coyle recommended that trained specialist groups of officers be located at larger institutions, to help prison staff restore order.