Prisoners sprayed with tear gas in riot at Alice Springs prison amid record temperatures

RIOTING Territory prisoners had to be sprayed with tear gas after they broke out of their cells in the maximum security section

Prisoners have rioted at Alice Springs Prison

RIOTING prisoners had to be sprayed with tear gas after they broke out of their cells in the maximum security section of the Alice Springs prison.

The prisoners breached the maximum security G-block on Saturday night, arming themselves and destroying security equipment, prison sources say.

Up to 70 inmates were able to get out of their secure area where they made demands for ice and cordial to escape the stifling heat of their cells.

Prison officers say the incident on Saturday night is the culmination of ongoing tensions caused by overcrowding and searing Central Australian heat.

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“This is what happens when you’ve got 16 prisoners sharing a dorm with no aircon and the temperature hitting 50 degrees outside for days,” one officer said.

“There’s fans but no extraction so that air doesn’t move.

“This morning it was 37 degrees at 7 in the morning so you can imagine what these guys are feeling like.”

The prisoners were out of the secure area for several hours with some breaking into an exercise yard.

Officers eventually used OC and CS gas to force the inmates back into their cells.

One officer said the prison’s ageing infrastructure was struggling to cope with the growing number of inmates.

“That place was build for 350 and there’s 650 in there,” he said.

“It’s a toxic environment. It’s only a matter of time before someone gets hurt.”

Comment was sought from the Department of Attorney-General and Justice.