A Victorian prison inmate has shut down an entire jail by staging a life-threatening protest on top of a light pole.

The Ravenhall Remand Centre was in lockdown for most of Saturday after the prisoner scaled the incredibly high pole.

The 32-year-old man climbed up just before 11am and sat balancing on top for most of the day.

The man was seen by onlookers waving while up high in the sky,

Prison staff locked down the jail to stop other inmates entering the area where the man was staging his protest.

Staff piled up the bottom of the pole with mattresses incase he fell.

Corrections Victoria said in a statement there was never any risk to other prisoners or staff during the incident.



View photos The centre went into lockdown after a prisoner climbed a pole. Photo: 7 News More



It's unknown why the man decided to climb the pole.

The incident follows a riot on June 30, 2015 when more than 300 prisoners roamed the grounds tearing down fences and destroying equipment in response to a smoking ban.

It's believed tensions at the facility have been high since the ban took place.