Parkville Youth Justice Centre: Razor wire installed at youth prison
STEEL-bladed wire capable of inflicting severe cuts is being installed in a major overhaul of Melbourne’s trashed youth jail.
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RAZOR wire capable of inflicting severe cuts is being installed in a major overhaul of Melbourne’s trashed youth jail.
The hard line measure — usually associated with maximum-security prisons — is part of an upgrade of the Parkville Youth Justice Centre.
Razor wire features small, sharp-edged steel blades.
The wire’s installation is aimed at restricting inmates’ unauthorised movement between units, to keep them off roofs and out of restricted areas.
Minister for Families and Children Jenny Mikakos defended its use. “Victorians rightfully expect a strong and secure youth justice system — and that’s what we’re delivering,” she said.
“We make no apologies for securing our youth justice system because you cannot rehabilitate young offenders in facilities that are unsafe and unsecure.”
Large areas of Parkville were destroyed during wild incidents involving teenage inmates in the past year.
Major security failings, particularly detainees moving between units via roofs and ceiling space, were identified.
Internal barriers have been sunk metres deep to stop a repeat of the Metropolitan Remand Centre riots of 2015 where prisoners pushed them over and trashed that centre.
The damage bill has been estimated by the state government at $1.74 million, but some sources believe its cost and the resultant rebuild of Parkville will climb much higher.
Dozens of construction workers and tradesmen are on site daily. The work is being performed in consultation with former Victoria Police chief commissioner Neil Comrie.
Mr Comrie reviewed security at Parkville after the mayhem of last November.
The facility is already surrounded by a wall topped by anti-climb cylinders and a tall wire fence with barbed wire.
Some inmates were sent to Barwon Prison after the riots.
That decision to move them to a maximum-security adult prison has been challenged by human rights lawyers.
The state government later said it would spend $288 million on a new 244-bed youth jail at Werribee South, sparking fierce local opposition.
Chief executive officer at Youth Affairs Council Victoria, Georgie Ferrari, told the Herald Sun the use of razor wire “sounds concerning”.
“We want to differentiate between the adult and children’s system,” Ms Ferrari said.