AN officer was sprayed with human faeces during an alleged assault and another outbreak of violence at Goulburn Jail last week.
The flare-up at about 3pm Thursday prompted up to 40 inmates to rush the yard, the Public Service Association (PSA) claimed. Officers had to deploy "a substantial amount of tear gas" to quell the unrest.
It was the second alleged assault within three days at the facility, sparking renewed union and Opposition calls for action on staffing and security.
The Department of Corrective Services confirmed Thursday's fracas occurred in yard six of the jail's maximum security section.
"The inmate pushed faeces onto the face of one officer, with a small quantity landing on the coat of a second officer," a spokesman said.
"The incident was followed by some unrest in the yard, which was dealt with by tear gas. There were no injuries."
The prisoner was placed in segregation and his classification reviewed.
"We are treating this matter very seriously," Assistant Commissioner (Custodial Corrections) Kevin Corcoran said.
"Such behaviour is totally unacceptable."
The spokesman said there were 24 inmates in the yard at the time but none left its confines.
On Friday police were investigating. Detective Inspector Matt Woods said nobody had been charged at this stage and police were taking statements from officers and witnesses.
He confirmed the unrest occurred around muster time and the officer was not injured.
Chair of the PSA's Prison Officers Vocational Branch, Steve McMahon said the violence started when one of the officers "sacked" an inmate from cleaning and other roles he performed in the wing.
"His behaviour had been poor and he had been warned," he said.
In reaction, the prisoner allegedly threw a tuna can filled with excrement, wrapped in a sock at the officer, striking him on the face.
Mr McMahon said at some point fellow inmates started throwing tins of tuna and some other canned items.
"We have previously asked (management) to remove cans from purchasable items available to inmates," he told the Post.
"...It is a weapon of choice. There are very limited other articles around and when they can access things they use them.
"We will be seeking to have all canned items removed and certainly things that can be used as projectiles have to come out. We can't chance an officer losing an eye. If one of those cans is launched at high speed, it could kill someone."
They were also thrown during another brawl at the jail in September, 2014 when inmates were denied access to a barbecue.
During Thursday's alleged assault, Mr McMahon said up to 40 prisoners tried to rush the yard, prompting officers to deploy tear gas.
Last Monday at 9.35pm, the Department said an officer sustained "minor injuries" while being assaulted at the jail.
"The officer was injured as he was pushed into a wall by an inmate trying to rush out of a holding yard," the spokesman said.
Opposition Corrections spokesman Guy Zangari claimed tear gas was also used to quell this outbreak but the Department has denied this.
The PSA maintained the incident was much more serious. Mr McMahon said an Aboriginal prisoner was involved in a "vicious" one-on-one" fight with another inmate and assaulted an officer when he tried to break it up.
He told the Post the Aboriginal and Islander sections of the jail were the biggest source of unrest and housed the largest men, some weighing up to 150kg.
"They are the most dangerous and volatile and are involved in the worst incidents in the jail.
"...For the Department to downplay these (outbreaks) as minor and to have us geared up with shields, batons and tear gas, is an insult to us."
Originally published as Goulburn correctional officer sprayed with faeces by the Goulburn Post.
