Prisoner to be charged after climbing onto roof of Spring Hill Prison

Spring Hill Prison.
Spring Hill Prison. Photo credit: Getty Images

A prisoner will be charged after climbing onto the roof of Waikato's Spring Hill Prison.

He climbed on top of the unit he is located in on Thursday afternoon and was up there for about 10 minutes, Spring Hill prison director Scott Walker told Newshub.

While there were no injuries to the prisoner or Corrections staff and no damage to property, the prisoner will be charged through their internal misconduct system.

Walker says the unit is now operating as usual.

"Staff responded immediately to contain the incident and did an excellent job calmly de-escalating the situation," Walker says.

"The unit is fenced off and the prisoner was contained within the secure perimeter of the prison's unit at all times. There was no threat to the wider security of the prison and no threat to public safety at any time."

This prisoner's escapade comes just months after several inmates at Waikeria Prison, near Te Awamutu, took to the roof of the old jail to protest what they claimed were inhumane conditions and a lack of access to basic necessities.

The stand-off lasted for six days, during which they set fire to buildings and ripped off shower doors to fight guards.