‘Ludicrous’: Tensions rise in crowded Barwon Prison while one sits empty next door

Racial tensions and fights are regularly flaring inside crowded and understaffed Barwon Prison, as dozens of staff are rostered to work at a new $1.1 billion jail that sits empty next door.

Violent prison inmates have been attacking each inside the crowded and understaffed Barwon Prison. Picture: Alan Barber

Violent prison inmates have been attacking each inside the crowded and understaffed Barwon Prison at Lara, while dozens of staff are rostered to work at a new, $1.1 billion jail sitting empty next door.

There has been a succession of brutal clashes at Barwon Prison in recent weeks, including assaults on officers, amid reports of pressure-cooker conditions and tension between Islander and African prisoner groups.

But dozens of staff are on the roster at the newly-constructed Western Plains Correctional Centre, which is yet to accept a single prisoner.

It is not expected to open until late in the year.

According to prison sources, one of the most significant factors in the tension understaffing, which has led to increased prisoner lockdown periods at the Lara facility.

Emergency services at Barwon Prison earlier this year. Picture: Alan Barber

One corrections source said it was “ludicrous” that staff would be running a jail with no inmates while colleagues nearby were struggling to cope with their workload.

There has been a wave of drama at maximum-security Barwon, which started with eight staff being injured in a three-day period at the start of last month.

Some of those officers were treated in hospital amid claims an increasing use of lockdowns to overcome staff shortages were a factor.

On March 19, two prisoners were taken to hospital after stabbing each other.

Another inmate aged in his 20s was severely injured by a makeshift knife during a wild confrontation involving multiple prisoners on Wednesday.

A Department of Justice and Community Safety statement said planning to get Western Plains up and running were underway.

It said the State Government was “investing in a modern, effective corrections system that keeps staff, people and the community safe.”

“As part of this, a small number of Corrections staff have been deployed for operational readiness activities and to keep the site secure,” the statement said.

Defect rectification work and other commissioning processes are happening at Western Plains, which will have a 1248-inmate capacity when opened.

The pandemic significantly lowered crime rates, impacting the state’s prison population.

Corrections Victoria statistics show in June, 2019, the state’s prisons held a total of 8102 inmates.

As of January this year, the prison population was only 6788.

But numbers are on the rise with statistics showing there were 6615 inmates six months earlier.