A male inmate at Australia's largest prison has been found naked in the cell of his female lover, who was also being held in the same prison.
The inmate managed to leave his unit at the Clarence Correctional Center near Grafton in northern NSW on Saturday and join his girlfriend for an end-of-year date.
The private prison is a 1,700-bed maximum and minimum security facility for male and female offenders and opened in July 2020.
Daily Mail Australia understands the male prisoner climbed two fences and crossed an exercise area to enter his partner's cell.
A male inmate at Australia's largest prison has been found naked in his female lover's cell. The inmate managed to leave his unit at the Clarence Correctional Center near Grafton in northern NSW and make his way to his girlfriend's on Saturday. Stock image
The couple then barricaded themselves inside until prison staff used a chemical agent and were able to get the male inmate out.
The inmate was naked and a source described his condition as “ready to go.”
A spokeswoman for the Clarence Correctional Centre, run by Britain's Serco, said staff had responded to an incident where two prisoners tried to prevent access to a cell.
“A tactical plan was immediately implemented, which involved the use of a chemical agent,” the spokeswoman said.
“Responding officers secured the inmates safely. No staff or prisoners were injured in the incident.
'It is known that the prisoners involved, a man and a woman, are in a relationship.
“An investigation into the incident has been launched.”
The escapade was said to be over in six minutes and it was unknown if the couple had time to become intimate.
Clarence Correctional Center (above) is a 1,700-bed private prison for female offenders, opened in July 2020. It has maximum and minimum security sections
Users of a Facebook page popular with current and former prison guards made light of the incident and drew attention to safety concerns.
“The best part is that if she's pregnant, our future careers are safe!!” someone wrote on The Last Governor's page.
“Well he had a happy new year,” wrote another.
Other comments included: “Neither bars, locks, fences or motion cameras can get in the way of true love” and “You just can't make this up.”
In September, a Clarence officer was reportedly punched repeatedly in the head by an inmate as other inmates cheered him on.
Clarence is one of three NSW prisons run by the private sector.
Junee Correctional Center has been run by US-based GEO Group since it opened in 1993, but the company's contract will not be renewed when it expires in 2025.
Parklea Correctional Center is managed by MTC-Broadspectrum.