A NEW wing featuring 84 extra prison beds has been opened at Ravenhall’s Dame Phyllis Frost Centre.
The beds were added as part of the state government’s prison expansion program, which it says complements a tougher sentencing regime.
Unveiling the wing last Wednesday, Corrections Minister Andrew McIntosh said the government would support a greater focus on rehabilitation programs for prisoners.
The expansion of the Ravenhall – the state’s only maximum security prison for women – included a double-storey unit and three self-contained secure cottages, a new industries area, expanded kitchen and improved perimeter fence.
As reported by the Weekly, the state budget included $670 million for a new 500-bed men’s prison at Ravenhall.
Mr McIntosh said the government was seeking a project director for the new prison and would appoint a full project team by the end of the year.
“The new men’s prison at Ravenhall will not only add much-needed capacity to Victoria’s prison system but will also provide jobs in Melbourne’s west.” He said a community advisory group, with representatives from Melton and Brimbank councils and residents, would ensure local input in the planning and development stages.
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