Section 1: Chronological Summary 1970 - 2008
1967 - Ronald Ryan the last man hanged in Victoria, at Pentridge Prison
1973 - Report of the Board of Inquiry into Allegations of Brutality and Ill Treatment at H.M. Prison Pentridge.
- Ombudsman Act 1973
The Act establishes the Office of the Ombudsman Victoria.
1974 - Melbourne Remand Centre planned
Planning commenced for Melbourne Remand Centre to be built to accommodate remand prisoners, currently held in D Division at Pentridge.
- The office of Law Reform Commissioner established
The Commissioner assisted by a Law Reform Advisory Council consisting of lawyers, law professors and non-legal professionals.
1975- Crimes (Capital Offences) Act 1975 (Vic)
Capital punishment abolished in Victoria.
- McLeod Prison Farm closes.
- The Social Welfare (Amendment) Act 1975 (Vic)
The Act creates Attendance Centre Orders requiring offenders to report regularly at a nominated centre.
1977 - Cooriemungle Prison closes
This prison camp at Port Campbell, western Victoria, closes due to over-provision of
open prisons and outdated facilities (Bodna, 1980: 51).
1980 - Jika Jika opens
Pentridge Prison's high-tech maximum security unit built to house Victoria's most
violent, dangerous, long-term prisoners.
1983- Jika Jika escape
Four prisoners escape from ‘escape-proof' Jika Jika. When two prison officers are disciplined in relation to the escape, a week-long strike ensues.
- Office of Corrections established as a separate Government department.
- Construction of Melbourne Remand Centre begins in West Melbourne.
- The Community Welfare Services (Pre-Release Programmes) Act and the Community Welfare Services (Attendance Centre Permits) Act.
These two pieces of legislation passed to ease prison overcrowding
1984- Pre-release programs begin in Victorian prisons
For prisoners serving sentences of 12 months or more, this involves spending 16
hours a week at an attendance centre and community work on Saturdays, for 3-12
months.
- Attendance Centre Permits implemented,
These permits allow people imprisoned for not paying fines to serve all or part of their term via Attendance Centres.
- Community Service Orders introduced
CSOs introduced to divert offenders from prison, and as a low-cost alternative to imprisonment.
- The Law Reform Commission of Victoria established
The Law Reform Commission replaces the office of Law Reform Commissioner and
the Law Reform Advisory Council.
1985- Review of the pre-release scheme
This review announced due to criticism by the judiciary and public confusion over the
pre-release program (Leivesley, 1986: 267).
1986- Construction begins on Barwon Prison
Near Lara, 70km south-west of Melbourne, Barwon is the only maximum security prison located outside the metropolitan area.
1987- Victoria's first drug treatment unit
Part of G Division of Pentridge Prison (previously a male psychiatric unit) is
converted to Victoria's first drug treatment unit for male prisoners.
- Riot and fatal fire in which five prisoners die at Jika Jika
Minister for Corrections orders the immediate closure of the Pentridge Prison maximum security unit.
1988 - Tarrengower Prison opens
In January 1988, the only minimum security prison for women in Victoria. Originally
a farm, it is located near Maldon, 136km north of Melbourne.
-- Construction begins on Loddon Prison, outside Castlemaine, 128km north of Melbourne.
Loddon Prison to replace outdated nineteenth century Castlemaine Gaol.
1989- Coronial inquest into deaths of five prisoners at Jika Jika
The Coroner's findings critical of the Office of Corrections' response to the fire.
- Construction of Melbourne Remand Centre completed in Spencer Street, West Melbourne.
- Barwon Prison construction completed in October
Barwon is the first new prison in Victoria designed specifically for unit management.
1990 - First prisoners received at Barwon Prison in January.
- Pentridge Prison's G Division reverts back to a psychiatric unit.
- The first prisoners arrive at Loddon Prison, after Castlemaine Gaol closed
Loddon is the second Victorian prison designed for unit management, after Barwon.
- Community Protection Act 1990 passed
The Act is passed to enable the preventive detention of a single prisoner - Garry David (or Garry Webb), due for release in 1991 - by a Victorian Supreme Court Judge if he/she is convinced that Mr David poses a serious risk to public safety.
1991- The Sentencing Act 1991 (Vic).
The Act embodies major reform to sentencing administration in Victoria. It aims to unify sentencing provisions under one Act; promote consistency; provide guidelines for and outline the principles and objectives of sentencing; and provide a framework for setting maximum penalties.
1992 - New Department of Justice, Correctional Services Division established
Office of Corrections abolished and replaced by Correctional Services Division -
encompassing adult Prison Services and Community Corrections - of the new
Department of Justice. The Department of Justice also responsible for courts, police,
emergency services, racing, gaming & liquor licensing, victims' services, Attorney-
General's office, and consumer affairs.
- Victorian Law Reform Commission (VLRC) abolished
Replaced with the Parliamentary Law Reform Committee and the Victorian Attorney-General's Law Reform Advisory Council.
- Langi Kal Kal becomes adult prison again
Located 140km west of Melbourne at Trawalla, Langi Kal Kal had housed adult prisoners from 1950 until 1965 when it became a Youth Training Centre.
1993 - The Sentencing (Amendment) Act 1993 (Vic)
The Act further reforms sentencing law in response to perceived public pressure
(Freiberg & Ross, 1999:188), enables the extension of prison terms, including
indefinite sentences, for serious sexual and violent offenders.
- State Government announces plans for the privatisation of prisons.
1994 - 19th century Bendigo Prison refurbished, including sewering of cells.
1996 - Fairlea Women's Prison closes, May 19.
- Public Corrections established as a service agency to deliver correctional services in new competitive State environment.
- Deer Park Metropolitan Women's Correctional Centre (MWCC) opens in August
The MWCC is the first privately designed, financed, built and operated prison in Victoria.
1997- Morwell River Prison closes, near Yarram in Gippsland.
- Sale Prison closes in Sale, Gippsland.
- Fulham Correctional Centre opens in West Sale, Gippsland, in March, Victoria's second private prison and first privately operated men's prison.
- Melbourne Assessment Prison (MAP) (formerly Melbourne Remand Centre) becomes the reception prison for all male prisoners in Victoria.
- Pentridge Prison closes May 1st.
- Port Phillip Prison opens in September, the third privately operated prison in Victoria.
- Sentencing and Other Acts (Amendment) Act 1997 (Vic)
Comes into force in September, adding “serious drug offenders” and “serious arson offenders” to the categories of offender requiring particular attention.
- Sentencing (Amendment) Act 1997 (Vic)
The Act raises maximum penalties, including increases in maximum fines for corporate offences.
2000-Independent Investigation into the Management and Operations of Victoria's Private Prisons report published.
- State Government-appointed administrator takes over MWCC ownership and management
Now run by Corrections Victoria and called the Dame Phyllis Frost Centre.
- The Victorian Law Reform Commission Act 2000 passed in June 2000
Professor Marcia Neave AO appointed the first Chairperson and full-time Commissioner in October 2000.
2001- Victorian Law Reform Commission opens on 6 April.
Sexual Offences referred to the Commission, 27 April. Compulsory Treatment and
Care of People with an Intellectual Disability referred 21 December.
2002- Corrections Long Term Management Strategy released.
- Ministerial Review of Custodial Community Permit Program.
2003- Nalu opens at Fulham Correctional Centre
Nalu is a rehabilitation unit for young adult offenders, aged 18 to 25.
- The Victorian Health Status Study
The first health status survey of the Victorian prisoner population, completed by Deloitte Consulting in February 2003.
- The Review of Education and Training Provisions in Victorian Prisons - The Way
Forward Final Report by the Department of Justice.
2004 - Sentencing Advisory Council established as an independent statutory
body under amendments to the Sentencing Act 1991.
- Bail law referred to the Victorian Law Reform Commission.
- Historic 144-year-old Beechworth Prison closes in December.
2005- Won Wron Prison in East Gippsland closes
Closed due to outdated dormitory design and physical isolation.
- Beechworth Correctional Centre opens in January near Beechworth, 270kms north-east of Melbourne.
- Prison Discipline Regime Review July 2005 completed.
-Koori Cognitive Skills Evaluation Final Report by the Department of Justice.
- 2005-09 strategy, Better Pathways: An Integrated Response to Women's Offending and Re-offending released by Dept of Justice.
2006 - Bendigo Prison closes.
The 19th century, 85-bed, medium security prison provided accommodation for prisoners assessed as suitable for treatment in the area of substance abuse and addictive/compulsive behaviours.
- Marngoneet Correctional Centre opens in March
Near Lara, 70km south-west of Melbourne, ‘Marngoneet' means ‘to make new' in the local Wathaurong language.
- Metropolitan Remand Centre, Victoria's major remand facility, opens in April at Ravenhall, 20km west of Melbourne's CBD.
- Victorian Ombudsman's releases its report Conditions for persons in custody.
2007-Review of the Bail Act Final Report by the Victorian Law Reform Commission.
- Corrections Victoria Disability Framework 2007-09.
- Intellectual Disability in the Victorian Prison System: Characteristics of prisoners with an intellectual disability released from prison in 2003-2006. Corrections Research Paper Series - Paper No. 02, September 2007.
- The Joint Treatment Program launched at Port Phillip Prison.
2008- Wulgunggo Ngalu Learning Place opens on the site of the former Won Wron Prison in Gippsland.