Darwin jail in lockdown after disturbance

A disturbance at Darwin's Berrimah jail has forced the lockdown of several blocks.

Prison officers say about 80 inmates refused to return to their cells late yesterday morning, complaining about poor meals and a lack of activities.

Officers say the prisoners threatened violence unless their demands were met, reportedly saying "there'll be trouble, the blocks are going to erupt".

As the stand-off escalated, guards armed themselves with tear gas and donned full riot gear including vests and helmets.

But the disturbance was eventually quelled when the ringleaders were isolated and locked down overnight.

The Justice Department says the incident involved only three inmates and riot gear is standard practice.

Newshawk: http://www.napnt.org
Pubdate: Fri, 28 October 2005
Source: Australian Broadcasting Corporation (Australia Web)
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Copyright: 2005 Australian Broadcasting Corporation
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