Victoria Budget 2017-18: New Victorian jail, more frontline police in $2b boost

A $2 BILLION boost for thousands more frontline police and a new jail for teen criminals are the key law and order pledges in today’s state budget.

A $2 BILLION boost for thousands more frontline police and a new jail for teen criminals are the key law and order pledges by the Andrews Government in today’s state budget.

In a package announced last December the government will provide 3100 extra police officers in a bid to tackle rampant youth crime.

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Among the package is funding to replace 10 police stations across Victoria, a new air wing — including three new helicopters — and a 24-hour police assistance phone line.

There will also be funding for 42 new youth specialist officers.

In the CBD a further $10 million will be provided to upgrade security — likely for bollards and a public address system — in response to the Bourke St tragedy.

Announced earlier this year the government will build a $288 million youth justice Supermax jail.

Rioting teens were routinely able to break out of youth justice centre at Parkville through weaknesses in the infrastructure. Picture: Tony Gough.

The government committed to the new building after rioting teens routinely were able to break out of youth justice centre at Parkville through weaknesses in the infrastructure.

The new prison jail will be better able to handle the more violent youth offender the justice system is contending with.

Before that facility comes online in 2021 a further $72 million will be spent strengthening and fortifying the youth justice prisons at Parkville and Malmsbury.

More than half of the Parkville prison was destroyed in widespread riots in November last year.

There is also a $308 million plan to deal with serious offenders.

The investment comes from the Harper Review — commissioned after the tragic death of Masa Vukotic — by repeat violent offender Sean Price.

Masa Vukotic.

The government says the scheme will tighten the net on violent offenders after they serve their time with more rigorous electronic monitoring, curfews, no-go zones and strict reporting conditions.
The legislation for the serious offenders supervision and detention orders is likely to be introduced next year.

For violent offenders not suitable within a release the government has created a 10-bed jail within a jail.

The prison that will be in has yet to be determined but it will be within a maximum security

facility.

A new 20-bed facility will be built near the Hopkins Correctional Centre in Ararat for violent offenders, who need further supervision — similar to Corella Place which houses sex offenders who are still deemed a risk to the community after their sentence is served.

A further $74 million to upgrade security at prisons — including a secure gatehouse at Barwon Prison and new infrastructure for the state’s maximum secure women’s prison Dame Phyllis prison.