The need for corrections officers at Canberra's jail to be be trained in hostage negotiation skills has been highlighted by a report into a critical incident at the prison in March.
It was the first hostage incident at the troubled Alexander Maconochie Centre since it opened in 2009.
The independent Inspector of Correctional Services, Neil McAllister, found that while the incident was appropriately managed by the jail's staff and no-one was harmed, "there is necessity for ACT Correctional Services to enhance the skills of senior officers to deal with hostage situations".
The detainee involved is serving a lengthy prison sentence. He has mental health conditions and a history of serious and violent offences. He also has a history of "poor institutional conduct" and affiliations with NSW and ACT prison gangs.
He had also been previously placed on a protection order due to his concerns about being assaulted by other detainees.
On or about March 15, he refused to move into a specific unit at the prison because he believed he was at risk from another detainee in that unit and that he would have to share a cell, which he did not want.
Overcrowding has been a persistent problem at Canberra's prison, with the situation exacerbated as a result of riots which left some sections of the jail uninhabitable.
About 10.50am on March 27, a cell check found the offender inside a cell holding a "bladed weapon" to the neck of another inmate, threatening to cut the throat of his victim.
A full centre lockdown commenced and a response/extraction team assembled ready for rapid intervention. Police were also contacted.
About an hour and a half later, the offender surrendered and two improvised bladed weapons were seized. The victim was described as "shaken up" but otherwise unharmed.
The inspector praised the senior officer who handled the matter, saying he did an "excellent job" in his negotiation. The officer knew the detainee and was therefore was able to establish a rapport with him quickly.
However, he noted that should the matter have dragged on for a number of hours more and that officer would need to be relieved "by someone who might not have had that same connection".
Under a memorandum of understanding (MOU), Corrections can call in trained police negotiators but this takes time, and also negotiators are required to be equipped with firearms and supported by tactical officers. Firearms are not permitted within the prison.
Mr McAllister made seven recommendations, enhanced hostage negotiation skills for senior officers, the protocols and training around the use of chemical agents such as pepper spray, and the need for Corrections to photograph and document any seized weapons for future intelligence-gathering purposes.
