Hoddle St killer Julian Knight to be relocated to medium-security prison under shake-up of corrections system

Mass murderer Julian Knight is set to be moved to a medium-security prison for the first time in almost 40 years as authorities scramble to accommodate a surge in remand prisoners after the Allan government’s bail crackdown.

Hoddle St killer Julian Knight is set to be moved to a medium-security prison for the first time in almost 40 years in a major shake-up of the corrections system.

The Herald Sun can reveal the mass murderer – who killed seven people and injured 19 in Melbourne in one of the country’s worst massacres in 1987 – is among a raft of Victoria’s most notorious criminals who are facing classification downgrades as authorities work to free up space in high security prisons to accommodate a surge in remand prisoners as a result of the Allan government’s recent bail changes.

The notorious rapist known as ‘Mr Stinky’ – who is serving two life sentences without parole for the 1966 murders of two teenagers in Shepparton – is also understood to have been reclassified as a medium security prisoner.

It means both men will be subjected to reduced supervision, increased freedoms within prison and less onerous conditions when being escorted outside jail compounds.

Other high profile violent prisoners including gang members and inmates charged with terrorism related offences are also understood to be under consideration for radical security downgrades.

Corrections Enver Erdogan says he was kept in the dark about the move but still backs it. Picture: Alison Wynd

On Thursday, Corrections minister Enver Erdogan says he was kept in the dark about a radical security downgrade for Hoddle St killer Julian Knight, but says he backs the move.

Mr Erdogan said he was not consulted ahead of the major changes.

“I don’t get briefed on individual cases,” he said.

“I get briefed on the fact that people can move between classifications based on their security.”

But the minister said he had confidence authorities had made the right call.

“I understand the concern of the community, but I think the experts in this field understand those concerns, and we have a panel in place, a robust process, and I back those processes,” he said.

“I think the people on the panel, members of the Judiciary, Victoria Police, and ultimately, the Commissioner for corrections, will make a decision that’s in the interests of all Victorians.”

Premier Jacinta Allan refused to weigh in on the issue saying: “this individual (Knight) will die in prison,” she repeated.

Knight is set to be moved to a medium-security prison for the first time in almost 40 years.

Opposition leader Brad Battin slammed the decision to downgrade Knights’ classification to medium security.

“And to not know where he’s going, whether it’s into regional Victorian prisons or other metropolitan prisons, is a disgrace,” he said.

Mr Battin said it was the government’s closure of Port Phillip prison and the beds it took out of the system that was to blame.

“Now we are going to see dangerous prisoners downgraded and moved into prisons where it is simply not suitable,” he said.

“This is putting staff at risk, the community at risk, and it needs to be changed as urgently as possible.”

In response to the Allan government’s insistence that bed capacity was unrelated to Knights’ classification, Mr Battin said Ms Allan “can come out and say whatever she likes, but there are 40 beds here in Victoria that have mould in them and can’t be used, and there’s a prison that she’s made the decision to close.”

Knight shot dead seven people and wounded 19 in Hoddle St, Clifton Hill in 1987. Picture: Michael Potter

In 2014, then premier Denis Napthine legislated that Knight would be detained until he was either on his deathbed or too frail to harm others.

Under Victorian sentence management guidelines medium security ratings apply to prisoners who do not represent a serious escape risk, but who continue to pose a risk to the community.

The same guidelines stipulate high security ratings should be applied to prisoners who “have a level of notoriety which would cause the community to expect the highest levels of supervision to be applied.”

Senior Corrections sources said the major shake-up of the system was prompted by a need to make more beds available in the state’s four remand facilities including Port Phillip Prison, where Knight is currently held.

Since new laws came into effect last week making it harder for courts to bail accused criminals, struggling remand facilities have seen a significant surge in demand.

Senior Corrections sources say there are fears the system would run out of beds for male prisoners without the major reclassification of prisoners.

“In order to maximise occupancy, what you need to do is effectively have the right number of prisoners at the different classification levels so that you can fill all the beds,” one senior source said.

An undated photo of Knight in his prison cell. Picture: Supplied

“What we’re seeing for Port Phillip is major offenders being reclassified as medium security so they can be moved out into regional prisons to free up space in the city for the remand prisoners that are coming on the back of these new bail laws,” they said.

Sources warned the process was undermining the usual reclassification process which carefully considered the risk profile of prisoners.

“That obviously comes with lots of risks, to staff working in those facilities, and broader risks to the community, because they’re not secured like they would be in a maximum-security prison. So you get risk of escape, you get risk of assault to staff, because you have less staff at those lower security facilities, if they ever have to leave the facility for some reason, like to go to hospital or to go to court, because they’ve got a lower security they’re not restrained in the same way, so specifically, no shackles and handcuffs, because they’re only a medium security prisoner.”

“Our concern is that these prisoners should be in maximum security.”

Knight is currently held at Port Phillip Prison.

Knight has for years fought to have his rating downgraded, but has faced major push from both the state government and judiciary.

Shadow Minister for Corrections, David Southwick, said any attempt to lower Knight’s security classification was an insult to victims and a threat to the community.

“He remains a perpetual risk, and his security rating must reflect that,” he said.

“The Liberals and Nationals will never compromise on community safety. We will always back a justice system that keeps violent offenders behind bars and puts the rights of victims first.”

The state government refused to comment on the concerns.

But a Department of Justice and Community Safety spokesperson explicitly denied classification changes were being impacted by capacity concerns.

“We do not comment on individual prisoners or their placements,” she said.

“Corrections Victoria regularly and systematically reviews the security classification of prisoners.”

Security classifications considered a range of factors including the risk posed to the prison system and the community as well as behaviour in custody and engagement in programs, the spokesperson said.

Originally published as Hoddle St killer Julian Knight to be relocated to medium-security prison under shake-up of corrections system