The NSW Department of Corrective Services has issued the following statement regarding Saturday's "unrest" or "riot" at Goulburn Jail.
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Incident at Goulburn Correctional Centre
Corrective Services NSW has deployed chemical munitions to subdue inmates in two yards at Goulburn Correctional Centre's mainstream prisoners' area.
Inmate unrest began about 3pm on Saturday (20 September 2014) after staff informed inmates that a good behaviour privilege – a barbeque – was being withdrawn due to earlier verbal abuse of correctional staff.
Correctional centre staff and specialist officers cleared the yard and locked the inmates in cells, with seven inmates segregated.
Four inmates, including one who was segregated, were seen by prison health staff for minor injuries.
No correctional staff were injured.
Inmates caused damage to yard fencing and equipment which will undergo repairs.
Corrective Services NSW and Police are investigating the incident including whether items at hand were used as projectiles to throw at officers.
Corrective Services NSW has no indication the disturbance was in any way prompted by religious beliefs. However, reports suggest inmates who were already locked in cells yelled out religious slogans to other inmates as they were being led to cells.
Staff reported that Outlaw Motorcycle Gang inmates from a neighbouring yard encouraged the inmates in the offending yard.
CCTV footage is still being reviewed as part of the ongoing investigation, however, it is believed inmates in the adjacent yard were handing tuna cans to inmates in the offending yard to throw at officers.
Corrective Services does not have any reports Middle Eastern inmates, held in a separate yard, were yelling out during the incident.
Corrective Services NSW will take appropriate disciplinary action against all involved inmates.
All inmates from the offending yards remain locked down while Corrective Services NSW and Police investigations continue.
NOTE: This incident did not occur at Supermax which is a separate facility on the Goulburn complex.