Today it was revealed during PAEC hearings, the Minister for Corrections has failed to address basic problems in existing facilities, including recruiting enough staff to keep the prisons open despite spending $727 million in the budget.
In the 2023 Labor budget, $753.4 million was promised to deliver 455 beds at Melbourne Remand Centre and Barwon Prison, which remain mouldy and uninhabitable. It appears this money has been wasted as the government remains in a legal dispute with the builder.
It was also confirmed 20 prisoners from Barwon Prison have been moved to Western Plains Prison until a gas leak is resolved, despite the facility not being fully operational and not set to open properly until July.
Port Phillip Prison is also set to close at the end of the year, and the minister still couldn't confirm what would be done with the 40-bed prison hospital that received a $20 million expansion only five years ago.
With the prison population expected to rise and violence against staff increasing, the government has failed to address basic infrastructure issues. Most prisons have been locked down due to staff shortages; Between October 1 and April 30, the Dame Phyllis Frost Centre was down for 129 days.
Shadow Minister for Corrections, David Southwick said: "The prison system is in crisis, and despite staff not feeling safe working in our prisons, the minister is happy to back his commissioner despite an overwhelming vote of no confidence in her performance."
"How can the government seriously expect to manage the increase in the prison population when it can't even fix the mouldy beds and gas leaks?"
"Labor can't manage our prison system and community safety, and Victorians are paying the price."
