Rioting prisoners start four fires in two days at Arthur Gorrie jail
Inmates at a Brisbane jail have lit fires, flooded cells and destroyed CCTV equipment, with several code blacks instigated in the past 24 hours as tensions arise amid stage 4 lockdowns in Queensland prisons that are set to last for another 10 days.
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Prisoners have caused damage across large parts of Arthur Gorrie Correctional Centre - including lighting fires and smashing windows - resulting in multiple “code blacks” and forcing medical staff to walk off the job, prison officers say.
Prison sources have told The Courier-Mail that inmates caused havoc overnight - with rioting continuing on Monday - with multiple units around the prison damaged by fire and flooding.
A banner that reads COVID FTS was displayed from the side of a building.
Queensland Corrective Services Commissioner Peter Martin this afternoon confirmed the tense situation at the prison, saying inmates were acting out over the introduction of a stage 4 lockdown of the facility.
He said over the course of the past 24 hours, a group of around a dozen of the 1060 inmates smashed glass, lit multiple small fires and flooded their cells.
They also destroyed CCTV technology.
Commissioner Martin said the unrest was a result of prisoners being kept inside their cells following concerns of COVID-19.
“At the heart of this is the fact people feel very disaffected they’ve been locked away for a reasonable period of time and regrettably will be for a period of time into the future, and I can’t help that,” he said.
“The science is telling us we need to keep people segregated from each other.”
Over the course of the weekend, 400 staff were pulled from other resources to be able to continue working in the facility, after usual prison staff were last week taken off duty following a coronavirus outbreak amongst workers.
Commissioner Martin praised the work of staff at the facility over the weekend and across the past 24 hours.
“These are really difficult times for us in Queensland Corrective Services,” he said.
“What we do generally is really difficult and challenging and complex ... (Coronavirus) has made what we do more important and more critical.
“The prison is in a state of calm at the moment, but the problem is this has a very long trajectory. We have a 14 day isolation and we’re currently at day 4.”
The Commissioner recalled at least three instances of a Code Black at the facility, following three isolated events where inmates had lit small fires.
Asked how the fires started, Commissioner Martin suggested some contraband had made its way into the facility.
“We do everything we can to avoid that, but it is a possibility it occurs,” he said.
“We can’t rule out people bringing (lighters or matches) in through devious means.”
The Queensland Police Service dog squad were called in, with firefighters on standby.
Multiple code blacks were called at 10pm, with police fire and paramedics rushing to the jail.
Some inmates were taken to the Princess Alexandra Hospital with smoke inhalation.
Authorities were also forced to call a “code purple” - an external threat - when a drone was spotted hovering overhead.
The Courier-Mail was also told nurses walked off the job in the early evening over concerns for their safety.
It is understood prisoners were not able to be treated or medicated by the prison’s medical staff throughout the night.
The prison union has this afternoon told The Courier-Mail they are deeply concerned over the events over the past 24 hours, as prison staff are having to continue working under very difficult circumstances.
“Together members are deeply concerned about the incident last night at Arthur Gorrie Correctional Centre,” a Together spokesman wrote in a statement.
“These events highlight the importance of prison safety for staff, prisoners and the community.
“The staff at the Centre are continuing their work in very difficult circumstances in a dedicated, professional way and deserve our respect.
“We will continue to engage with management at the Centre and with QCS to ensure that our concerns about Workplace Health and Safety at our prisons are addressed.”
People with loved ones inside the prison have this afternoon pulled over outside the facility to inspect what has happened.
They’ve told The Courier-Mail they’ve not been officially alerted to the events that have taken place over the last 24 hours, and have been using the media as a point of contact to learn of what’s happened.
The Australian Lawyers Alliance (ALA) said riots at Arthur Gorrie were a foreseeable consequence of the Stage 4 lockdown, and suggested the only way to avoid a serious outbreak within prison was to significantly reduce the number of prisoners inside the state’s facilities.
“It is well known that solitary confinement causes an increased risk of mental harm and creates an intolerable and unstable environment within prisons,” said ALA’s criminal justice spokesman Greg Barns.
“Extreme isolation means no contact with family and friends, no rehabilitation programs and no visits from external professionals such as lawyers. This isolation inevitably creates a highly tense, stressful and dangerous environment.
“The most effective way to avoid a serious outbreak of COVID-19 in our prison system is to drastically reduce the populations of prisons. Prisoners have the same rights to health and safety as everyone else.”
The ALA said health experts around the world are recommending the responsible release of some low-risk prisoners to reduce over-crowding and prevent COVID-19 outbreaks.