Waikeria Uprising: Prisoners Still Riot at Waikato Jail

The Waikeria prison remains closed today as an 18-hour standoff between prisoners and guards continues, with inmates in riots setting rooftop mattresses on fire overnight.

Sixteen Waikeria prisoners still refuse to surrender this morning. Four had surrendered overnight, but the jail has suffered significant damage and it is unlikely that it will be used again to house prisoners.

All 16 prisoners remained within the security perimeter of the upper jail facility.

A source told the Herald that the prisoners had been throwing projectiles at the prison guards – wood, metal and whatever they could rip from the damaged ceiling.

As a result, it had been too dangerous for the police to get too close to the prisoners. No one had been injured until now.

The source said there was little risk of the prisoners escaping, as there are two perimeter fences, electric and wire, and the fences are being patrolled by Corrections staff.

The weather is hot and sunny, so the source said the prisoners were expected to be “hot and hungry” and turn themselves in.

Corrections said there had been no loss of life or injuries to staff or prisoners. Fire and Emergency NZ, Police and St John remain in prison and are working closely with Corrections staff.

While it will be necessary to assess the condition of the building, it is unlikely that the prisoners will ever be housed there again, Corrections said in a statement. The facility was built in 1911 and was being replaced by a new prison scheduled to open there in 2022.

Corrections described the prisoners behind the revolt as “noncompliant.”

Late yesterday, 49 prisoners were evacuated from the riot sector facilities to another unit in the prison. Overnight, another 163 men were temporarily transferred to other locations within the prison, the spokesman said.

Specialized advanced control and restraint teams, made up of staff from a variety of prisons, are at the jail, where inmates have been out of control since Tuesday afternoon.

Photographs emailed to NZME last night showed a large cloud of smoke visible from neighboring farmland.

Police, firefighters and St John confirmed they were still at the scene, as correctional officers continued to try to negotiate with inmates and ensure the safety of everyone in the prison.

A spokesman said yesterday that 19 prisoners had been seen on the roof of the building. This included those who were involved in lighting a fire in a courtyard today, along with several others who were able to get out of their cells.

“The prisoners have been able to access some parts of the building by breaking the ceiling space, however their movement within the building is restricted by internal gates, barriers and secured doors.

“There is a lot of smoke around the building, which comes from mattresses lit by inmates.”

“There are about 230 prisoners in total in the ‘upper jail’ facility and we will not hesitate to evacuate more prisoners if necessary to keep them safe.”

FENZ was originally called to Waikeria after inmates lit several fires in the prison’s exercise yard Tuesday afternoon.

About 20 prisoners were using the yard at the time.

The situation was thought to be under control before nine prisoners refused to follow instructions, Newshub reported.

The criminals allegedly removed the bathroom doors from their hinges and used them as weapons against staff.

Corrections Association president Alan Whitley said the union was offering support.

“We are always concerned about people when a situation like this occurs, but we have specialized teams that have specialized training, they are professional people and they will do a professional job to keep the situation under control.” “Whitley told RNZ.

St John treated various staff members and inmates for smoke inhalation. Earlier in the evening at least one prisoner was thought to be bleeding after an altercation with the guards.

One inmate on remand said a prison riot was imminent, with inmates protesting basic human rights. They claimed there were problems at the prison, including toilet paper that took days to provide, Newshub reported.

Last year, two officers from the Waikeria Prison Correctional Facility were punched in the face on nearly the same number of days, while fighting was also reported between inmates.

An inmate struck an officer in the face and another officer was also injured when he stepped in to help.

That altercation came after an officer was threatened and beaten a few days earlier.

There had also been advance reports of prisoners fighting among themselves.

Waikeria Prison is one of the largest prisons in New Zealand, located on a 1200ha site south of Te Awamutu in the Waikato region.

The “upper jail” where the prisoners are currently located was built in 1911 and is the oldest part of the prison. It is being replaced by a new facility that is being built at the prison and is scheduled to open in 2022.