Mid North Coast prison officer held hostage by inmate
A prison guard was held hostage for five hours on Tuesday by a “dangerous” inmate who had allegedly demanded to be placed on a monthly opioid program.
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A dangerous inmate upset at staff intercepting a parcel containing illegal drugs punched a prison officer before taking him hostage for five hours on Tuesday.
The ordeal unfolded at Mid North Coast Correction Centre at 10.20am when the maximum security prisoner threatened the 37-year-old male officer with a hand-made weapon before bailing him up in an officer station on an oval.
With Corrective Services NSW banning visitors to prevent coronavirus from entering the state’s jails, drugs on the inside have become even in more demand with the flow of contraband from the outside now blocked.
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It is understood the 32-year-old male inmate, who has a history of violence, was demanding the return of the drugs - believed to be Suboxone - while also wanting to be placed on a monthly opioid replacement therapy program that had recently been rolled out across the prison system.
Unlike traditional opioid replacement programs where inmates must take daily or weekly doses, the new program involves prisoners receiving a monthly injection.
In a recent memo to inmates, the department stated that the injection of buprenorphine, also known as “depot”, was designed to remove the need for more frequent doses with the drug released into the system over several weeks.
“The amount of buprenorphine in your body is released slowly, helping you feel more stable,” it said.
A prison source claimed the inmate had applied to the program, but had been rejected.
The prisoner held the officer in a shed on the prison oval as negotiations with a hostage team took place.
The guard was released at around 3pm.
Corrective Services NSW Commissioner Peter Severin praised the staff involved for reaching a safe resolution after what he described as “a tense stand-off”.
“Correctional officers at Mid North Coast did an exceptional job in remaining calm during this tense stand-off, while also retaining control of the situation,” he said.
“Prison officers trained in hostage negotiation were able to successfully convince the inmate to release the officer, and we are all very relieved by this outcome.
“We will be providing all available support to the officers involved.”
The department confirmed the inmate had been angry about “not receiving his mail” after it was intercepted and found to be concealing illicit drugs.
After the hostage negotiator reached a successful outcome, Security Operations Group officers secured the inmate who has been placed in a segregation cell.
Originally published as Mid North Coast prison officer held hostage by inmate
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