Cleveland Youth Detention Centre officer attacked in detention centre fight

A prison officer has been attacked in another fight at Cleveland Youth Detention Centre.

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A PRISON officer has been attacked in another fight at Cleveland Youth Detention Centre.

On Friday morning, an altercation occurred between a detainee and one of the officers, making it one of three violent incidents reported from inside the detention centre in the last couple of weeks.

A CYDC source said the victim prison officer was a new employee.

A spokeswoman for the Department of Youth Justice said Queensland Health professionals were on site, but were not required.

She said all staff remained on shift.

A CYDC source said the centre was placed into lockdown at the time, but the spokeswoman said that did not occur.

“The safety of staff and young people at the Cleveland Youth Detention Centre (CYDC) is paramount,” she said.

“Assaults on staff are unacceptable and it is normal procedure for incidents of assault to be reported to the QPS for investigation.”

The Townsville Bulletin reported last week how the centre had become a pressure cooker of violence, according to another CYDC source, who said it was about to explode into a potential riot.

Assaults at Townsville’s correctional centres had gone up 70 per cent in the last three years.

Originally published as Cleveland Youth Detention Centre officer attacked in detention centre fight