About Corrections Victoria

Our vision and mission

Corrections Victoria’s vision is for 'Safer Prisons, Safer People, Safer Communities'.  

Our mission is to create a safer, smarter system with a skilled and supported workforce, that enables people in our care to make better decisions.  

Corrections Victoria operates Victoria’s adult prison and post-sentence systems. We:

• run 11 public prisons and a transition centre
• oversee 3 privately operated prisons
• oversee Victoria’s post-sentence scheme
• aim to reduce the risk of reoffending through case management informed by sound risk assessment, delivery of offence-specific and offence-related programs, and transition and reintegration supports.

Our approach

Corrections Victoria is responsible for a safe, secure and humane system that provides programs and services that support rehabilitation through addressing the underlying causes of offending behaviour.

We take a modern approach to correctional services. While people are in prison, we provide them with best practice interventions to help them safely integrate back into the community at the end of their sentence or period of remand.

This includes:

• case management, informed by risk assessment
• a structured day while people are in custody, including education, training and prison-based employment
• evidence based treatment programs, including programs designed for people who have committed violent or sexual crimes
• support to reintegrate back into the community, for example support to help secure housing and paid employment.

Corrections Victoria also manages Victoria’s post sentence scheme for serious sexual and violent offenders who pose an unacceptable risk to the community, including managing two residential facilities. The post sentence scheme aims to protect the community and provide for the treatment and rehabilitation of people on post sentence orders.

Our organisation  

Corrections Victoria is made up of several divisions that work together to deliver correctional services in Victoria.

Sentence Management Division

The Sentence Management Division assesses people coming into prison and determines the best place for them in the system. The Division continues to work with people during their time in prison to reassess their placement needs, including when they are ready to move to a lower security facility.

The Division is also responsible for developing the Countering Violent Extremism service delivery model in prisons and in community corrections.

Sentence Management Division is also responsible for:

• Sentence Calculation and Warrant Administration to ensure that people are held in custody correctly and attend court as required
• running the Maribyrnong Community Residential Facility that provides accommodation for men leaving custody who are at risk of homelessness 
• ensuring people in prison attend their scheduled court appearances and can meet with their legal teams
• statewide video conferencing coordination through the scheduling and facilitation of all court and court related video conferences for people in custody
• interstate and international transfers of people in prison 
• processing name change and alter record of sex applications.

Custodial Operations Division 

The Custodial Operations Division oversees and supports Victoria’s public prisons and the Judy Lazarus Transition Centre. It also oversees Victoria’s private prisons.

The Custodial Operations Division:

• sets and monitors standards in prisons
• reviews incidents, issues and trends in prisons
• day to day oversight of private prisons contract management, commercial oversight and advisory services across the system as well as the effective management and maintenance of all prison infrastructure.

Offender Services 

Offender Services delivers rehabilitative opportunities for people in prison and on post-sentence orders. 

Offender Services is responsible for: 

• rehabilitation, transition and reintegration supports and programs, including Prison Industries, Education, Training and Employment  
• Corrections Victoria’s clinical arm, Forensic Intervention Services – who provide evidence based cognitive behavioural programs working mainly with violent, sexual, alcohol and other drug related offending  
• tailoring programs and supports for vulnerable groups of people including Aboriginal people, people with disability and people from multi-cultural and multi-faith backgrounds. The division includes the Naalamba Ganbu and Nerrlinggu Yilam who support the rights or Aboriginal people and their access to cultural programs and services in custody. 
• management of the post-sentence scheme, including operating residential facilities. 

Security and Intelligence Division 

The Security and Intelligence Division is responsible for: 

• gathering and analysing intelligence
• emergency incident response
• providing expert advice on prison security infrastructure, security processes and emerging security technology
• the electronic monitoring of offenders on parole orders, community corrections orders and subject to post-sentence supervision orders
• delivering emergency management training across the correctional system.

It provides these services for a wide range of stakeholders across Corrections Victoria, the Department of Justice and Community Safety and the criminal justice system.