Two inmates were taken to hospital following a four hour riot Thursday at Central North Correctional Centre in Penetanguishene.
An Ontario Public Service Employees Union official says the riot started when staff tried to enforce some 'simple' rules that were 'routine' policy.
"The inmates in question didn't like the fact this policy was being enforced and it set them off and they started rioting," said Richard Dionne, Acting President of OPSEU Local 369.
Dionne says there were twenty inmates in the area, six were actively involved and two were transported to hospital with unspecified injuries.
Staff suffered no physcial injuries but were shaken up, according to Dionne.
"My initial report was the riot was a couple of hours but I found out today it was closer to about four by the time it was all said and done," the union rep said.
The Ministry of Community Safety and Correctional Services issued a statement on the incident.
"The ministry can confirm that an inmate disturbance did occur Jan. 5 at the Central North Correctional Centre," said Brent Ross, spokesperson for the Ministry of Community Safety and Correctional Services.
"The disturbance was confined to a single unit and involved six of the 739 inmates at the institution."
Ross says order was restored in the unit and the matter is under investigation.
The Ministry declined to answer any other questions.
Dionne says the incident began as a standoff.
"Then as they amped themselves up negotiators were very quickly sent down to see what the issue was and see if they could negotiate a peaceful resolution," said Dionne. "When that didn't pan out they deployed our Emergency Response Unit and they're the ones that quelled the incident."
Dionne said the unit where the riot occurred has property damage that could 'easily reach the tens of thousands of dollars' but he didn't have a figure.
"Prices add up very quickly especially when you're talking about a maximum security institution. It's not like a simple light bulb at your house."
Neither the union official nor the Ministry would identify the unit where the riot occurred.
"It's not that rare of an occurrence but it often gets buried behind the walls that we're sort of blockaded in," said Dionne. "We're sort of the forgotten first responders. Because we're behind the walls a lot of our stuff goes unseen, untold."
The union official expressed concern about recent changes to segregation policies which now stipulate a 15-day maximum.
"It is concerning for me and concerning for my staff."
The inmates involved in the riot were moved off the unit and placed in segregation.
