Newport, Vt. — Two inmates at a northern Vermont prison took a staff member hostage for more than two hours on Thursday afternoon, according to the Agency of Human Services.

Officials say Mehmed Devac, 22, and Leroy Hughes, 32, prisoners at Northern State Correctional Facility in Newport took a corrections officer hostage at 12:48 p.m.

Department of Corrections Commissioner Lisa Menard said the incident occurred in a general population unit of the prison. The agency did not identify the staff member, but said that family members of the employee were alerted about the situation.

According to officials, the hostage situation was “successfully resolved” at 3:13 p.m. No employees or inmates were injured, officials said.

The DOC used a “special response team” of trained staff from around the region, according to Human Services.

According to an email Menard sent to DOC staff minutes after the situation resolved, the staff member was held in a cell. She reported that negotiators arrived “quickly.”

“I had the opportunity to watch some of the response as it evolved,” Menard wrote.

“Staff members at Newport were incredibly professional. It was evident that first responders from other DOC sites were well trained for these incidents.”

The facility continued to be on lockdown Thursday afternoon. Vermont State Police and other law enforcement were notified of the situation and were standing by, but were not called out.

The DOC referred the incident to the Vermont State Police for investigation, which could lead to criminal charges.

Devac is serving time on convictions of assault and robbery with injury, aggravated assault and other misdemeanors. He has been in prison since Aug. 25, 2014. His minimum sentence will be completed in 2020; his maximum, in 2032.

Hughes, who has been incarcerated since last June, is serving time for grand larceny and assault and robbery with a weapon. His minimum sentence is to be completed in March 2019 and his maximum in March 2032.

Spokesperson for the Vermont State Employees’ Association Doug Gibson said the union is “very glad” the situation was resolved, “but this is another glaring example of a state employee being subjected to an unsafe situation while on the job.”

He said that the union is “committed to continuing to fight to enhance safety and security for all state employees, including our corrections members.”