Eight male inmates who have spent seven hours protesting on the roof of an accommodation unit at Alice Springs Correctional Centre are yet to make any demands.

The protest comes after disturbing footage aired on Monday night of teenagers being mistreated at youth detention centres in the Northern Territory.

A spokesman for the Northern Territory Department of Corrections confirmed eight prisoners had been on the roof since 2.45pm local time.

He said there were no weapons involved in the protest and there were no reports of injuries.