Getting there
Car
Barwon Prison is approximately 60km from Melbourne. Take the Princes Freeway to Geelong, turn left at the Avalon Airport exit, then turn right over the bridge and follow the signs to the prison. The Marngoneet Correctional Centre is located next to Barwon Prison.
Public transport
A courtesy bus is available to transfer visitors from Lara Railway Station to Barwon Prison (External link) and back again on Saturday and Sunday at the below times. Please note the courtesy bus does not run on public holidays.
Days | Bus departs Lara Railway Station | Bus departs Barwon Prison |
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Saturday and Sunday | 10.00am, 11.00am, 12.00pm, 2.00pm, 3.00pm | 10.30am, 11.30am, 12.30pm, 2.30pm, 3.30pm |
Geelong Taxi Network
Phone: 131 008 (Approximate cost: $38 to $60 for the Barwon Prison to Lara Railway Station trip)
Visiting times
To visit a prisoner, you must be on their approved list. Once you are on the list, you can book a visit according to the visit sessions times listed below.
It is recommended that you phone the prison before you visit to check that there are no issues on the day of your booked visit.
Visitors must arrive 30 minutes before their booked time.
Unit | Day and session times |
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Mainstream | Contact and box visit times - Saturday and Sunday:
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Acacia, Melaleuca and Olearia | Contact visit times - Saturday and Sunday:
Box visit times - Saturday and Sunday:
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Hoya | Contact visit times - Saturday and Sunday (Restricted Access):
Box visit times - Saturday and Sunday:
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Grevillea | Contact visit times - Saturday and Sunday:
Box visit times - Saturday and Sunday:
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Banksia | Contact visit times - Saturday and Sunday:
Box visit times - Saturday and Sunday:
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Dress standards for visitors
Prisoners are encouraged to maintain contact with their family and friends and one way to do this, is through visits. As a visitor to a prison, you are required to follow prison rules, including complying with visitor dress standards, which assist in keeping prisons safe.
There are a range of factors that staff must consider when processing visitors, including the visitor’s clothing or items accompanying the visitor, and the suitability of these items for a prison environment.
Such considerations include clothing items that can be used to conceal contraband, conceal a person’s identity, or breach security, or clothing that could lead to unrest or cause incidents amongst prisoners.
Visitors are encouraged to refer to this list as a guide and to contact the prison directly where they are unsure if their attire will be suitable for a prison visit.
The following clothing items are not permitted for the purpose of a prison visit.
- Gang affiliated clothing, colours or patches
- Clothing displaying racist/derogatory/sexist or profane messaging, imagery or symbolism
- Clothing that is considered to be inappropriately revealing of private body parts or sexually provocative in nature. This may include clothing that is:
- sheer or see through
- low cut
- very short e.g. high cut shorts that reveal upper thigh or buttocks, football shorts, miniskirts
- exposing e.g. midriff or crop tops
- Gloves
- High visibility workwear due to similarity in attire with contracted workers
- Open-toed shoes
- Scarves (excluding for religious purposes)
- Watches including any type of smart watch or Fitbit activity device
Visitors should also be mindful that the following items may pose a concern:
- Boots and thick sole shoes
- Hair pieces such as headbands, scrunchies etc
- Hooded tops or jumpers
- Jewellery, particularly where it is excessive
- Sleeveless or strapless clothing
- Windcheaters, track-pants or t-shirts that are bottle green (men’s prisons) or royal blue (woman’s prisons) due to similarity with prison issued clothing
Please note that there may be other circumstances where an item of clothing is considered to present a security risk or safety concern.
Staff may ask visitors to present an item to be searched, including the removal of hair pieces or jewellery where there are concerns that contraband may be concealed.
You may be asked to place any items of concern into a visitor locker for the duration of your visit. You may also be required to wear a prison issued T-shirt for visitors.
Failure to follow the prison rules may result in sanctions. This may include entry to the prison being refused, non-contact visits or a possible visiting ban.
Property and money
Property
People can drop off property for prisoners at Barwon Prison.
People dropping off property should put the approved property items in a plastic bag, label it with their name and the prisoner's name, and the number of items, before placing it in the secure property box at the Gatehouse foyer.
All prisoners’ property brought into the prison will be searched and delivered to the property store on weekdays only. Any property brought in over the weekend will be delivered to the property store as soon as is practicable. All property items must be clean – soiled or dirty items will not be accepted.
Where a prisoner has reached the permitted amount of property, additional items will not be accepted. Barwon is currently only accepting 5 items in total, including books/magazines or underwear (inclusive of socks, singlets and thermal underwear).
The following items are accepted:
- 4 thermal long johns and long sleeve thermals or long sleeve t-shirts (for prisoners in mainstream and protection these must be white, for prisoners in Acacia and Melaleuca they must be red)
- 4 underwear items (these must not include any pictorial or media representations e.g. cartoons or commercial brands. Please note, underwear must be new.)
- 4 pairs of socks
- 4 white singlets (singlets must not include any logos. For prisoners in Acacia and Melaleuca, singlets must be red.)
- clothing for court or release (this must be approved by the unit supervisor)
- 2 books (in Acacia, Banskia, Melaleuca and Oleria hard-cover books are not permitted without approval from an Operations Manager)
- 2 newspapers
- 2 magazines (Barwon Prison will not accept magazines which contain any erotic pictorial or media representation of male or female genitalia or women’s breasts, military articles, drugs, hydroponics or home brewing, weapons, bombs, tattoo publications or publications which support terrorism) Prohibited magazines include but are not limited to:
- any Category 1 or Category 2 restricted publications including Picture and People
- computer magazines with graphics (e.g. gaming violence)
- war or military magazines or publications
- Cosmopolitan or Cleo
- Live to Ride
- Zoo
- magazines or publications that contain violent material
- magazines or publications with restricted content which is coloured in or covered with stickers
- 6 photographs up to A4 size only (computer-generated photo sheets, regardless of how many photos are depicted on them, are accepted as one photo. Polaroids and laminates are not accepted)
- 1 calendar (there must be no explicit content, metal spiral binding, metal backing or laminated photos included as part of, or attached to the calendar)
- legal documents (must fit in a box measuring 35cm x 25cm x 15cm, unless prior approval has been given by an operations manager)
- legal CDs or DVDs (these must be approved by an operations manager)
- letters and cards (no musical letters or correspondence with attachments such as stickers and glitter)
All other property should be considered unauthorised unless prior approval has been given by an operations manager.
No shorts or runners of any kind are permitted.
Money
For details about how much money can be provided to a prisoner and in what format, read more about sending money to people in prison.
Visitors are permitted to drop off money orders or bank cheques in the mail box located in the Gatehouse foyer. No cash will be accepted.
Prison profile
Security level
Maximum
Accommodation
Barwon Prison is divided into four accommodation areas. Separating prisoners into manageable areas allows for the effective supervision, security and safety of the prison, and also enables the appropriate provision of prisoner services to be provided according to various needs.
History
Barwon was the first new prison in Victoria to be designed specifically for unit management. Construction of the prison started in 1986. It was completed in October 1989 and the first prisoners were received in January 1990. Barwon Prison is the only maximum security prison located outside the metropolitan area.