A corrections officer at Otago Corrections Facility has been suspended after allegations of using excessive force against a prisoner.
The person being investigated is believed to be part of the prison's Site Emergency Response Team (Sert), put in place recently to directly respond to incidents within the prison.
It is understood the incident occurred within the past fortnight.
Prison director Jack Harrison would not reveal specific details but said in a statement a staff member had "an alleged performance breach'' relating to "excessive use of force'' and an investigation was under way.
The officer had been suspended while the investigation was carried out, he said.
"Our staff are expected to behave with utmost integrity and uphold the highest personal standards at all times.
"Any person found to be behaving contrary these standards and the organisations' code of conduct will be held to account,'' the statement said.
"Everyone in a prison environment has the right to feel safe and we take any allegations of wrongdoing very seriously.''
Mr Harrison said he was unable to comment further as the investigation was ongoing.
Corrections Association of New Zealand president Alan Whitley would not comment specifically on the allegation but said it was hard to quantify what excessive use of force meant.
Complaints by prisoners happened "from time to time'', he said.
"Anybody in New Zealand authorised to use force is responsible for the force they use.
"If you have to put hands on a prisoner to control them, the prisoner always has the right to make a complaint.
"Some are justified but a lot of them aren't.''
A police media spokeswoman confirmed police were investigating an allegation of assault on a prisoner at Otago Corrections Facility by a corrections employee.
Use of force
In dealing with a prisoner, an officer or staff member may use physical force provided they have reasonable grounds for believing the use of physical force is reasonably necessary for. -
• Self defence.
• Defence of another person.
• To protect the prisoner from injury.
• To prevent escape.
Officers only:
• To prevent the prisoner damaging property.
• In the case of active or passive resistance to a lawful order.
Source: Department of Corrections
