Prison inmates pocket $1.5m of taxpayers’ money
Victorian prisoners have received an extra $10 a week on top of their usual allowance to make phone calls since the coronavirus pandemic began and inmates are allowed to pocket the cash for when they are released.
Police & Courts
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Taxpayers have forked out an estimated $1.5m in extra credit to prisoners since the coronavirus pandemic began.
Prisoners have received an extra $10 a week on top of their usual allowance to make phone calls but can choose not to spend the money and cash it out when they are released.
Corrections Victoria has also spent more than $600,000 to buy tablets and facilitate video calls for prisoners.
The $10 weekly phone credit scheme has applied to all of Victoria’s prisoners since March, when more than 8000 people were being held in custody.
The most recent data shows the current Victorian prison population is now about 7150.
The measure was one of a suite of initiatives implemented by Corrections Victoria to minimise impacts to prisoners due to coronavirus.
Video visits and a prisoner email program were also introduced as a flexible and cost-effective way for prisoners and their families to maintain contact.
Victoria’s 16 prisons are averaging almost 600 video visits per day.
In March, the Department of Justice and Community Safety spent $500,000 on Zoom software for virtual visits and a further $107,200.50 on 250 Samsung tablets.
It is understood the purchase of Zoom licences was necessary due to prisoner numbers and security requirements not available in free versions of the software.
A Department of Justice and Community Safety spokesperson said the vast majority of additional credits were being used each week.
“Phone credits cannot be used to purchase other items within prisons,” she said.
“Maintaining strong family bonds and community connections is important for prisoner rehabilitation and helps reduce reoffending by providing critical support networks.”
But opposition Corrections spokesman David Southwick said the extra credit was an unfair reward for prisoners.
“It seems the only ones coming out ahead from COVID-19 are Victorian prisoners,” he said.
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