Jesuit Social Services says a $727 million expansion of Victoria’s prison capacity, announced ahead of the 2025/26 State Budget, is money spent at the wrong end of the system and won’t do anything to prevent crime in the long run.
The expansion, announced yesterday, will result in nearly 1000 new beds in the adult prison and add 88 new beds to the state’s youth detention system.
“We’re really concerned by the news that the Victorian Government is committing well over half a billion dollars of new funding to a costly, ineffective prison system which is at odds with all of the evidence about how to create stronger, more cohesive communities with less crime and fewer victims,” Jesuit Social Services chief executive Julie Edwards said.
“We know that around 40 per cent of people who exit prison in Victoria return to prison in the next two years.
“This demonstrates that prison is not conducive to rehabilitation, and isn’t ensuring people return to the community better off than when they entered.
“Expanding the state’s prison capacity is a direct outcome of recent changes to bail laws, which we highlighted at the time would drive up prisoner numbers while doing nothing to address the underlying drivers of crime.
“These changes will also result in more people being held in prison on remand, yet to be convicted of a crime.
“These policies won’t do anything to prevent crime from occurring while diverting valuable funding away from vital community services that help people to lead productive and fulfilling lives where they don’t offend and don’t use violence.”
In its submission to the Victorian State Budget, Jesuit Social Services called for a range of evidence-based investments to address and prevent crime, including replicating the successful Maribyrnong Community Residential Facility model to prevent people from exiting prison into homelessness, and providing new funding for early intervention, diversion and restorative work to hold children and young people accountable for their actions while helping them to turn their lives around.
“We urge the Victorian Government to focus on the evidence of what works, instead of continuing to spend on a costly and ineffective prison system.”
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Expanding prison capacity is money spent at wrong end of the system (Jesuit Social Services)
