Green thumbs raise money for charity | Corrections Victoria

Community corrections
Community corrections
- Orders
  Orders
  
  Orders are issued to offenders by courts and by the Adult Parole Board.
- Community work
  Community work
  
  The majority of offenders are required to undertake unpaid community work as a condition of their order.
Top tasks
- Find a CCS office
Prisons
Prisons
- Remand
  Remand
  
  Alleged offenders on remand are held in custody before and during their trial (on criminal charges) by order of a court.
- Going to Prison
  Going to Prison
  
  All prisoners undergo reception and assessment before being placed in a prison unit appropriate to the prison and the prisoner's needs.
- Contacting and visiting a prisoner
  Contacting and visiting a prisoner
  
  How to arrange contact or visits with prisoners in the Victorian prison system.
- Professional contact
  Professional contact
  
  Prisoners are entitled to meetings, phone calls and video calls with professional visitors.
- Health care
  Health care
  
  The quality and standard of health care provided to prisoners is the same as that provided in the community through the public health system.
- Programs
  Programs
  
  Corrections Victoria provides a wide range of program opportunities for prisoners to assist in their rehabilitation and successful return to the community after release from custody.
Top tasks
- Find or contact a prison
Release
Release
- Transitional programs
  Transitional programs
  
  Many prisoners experience significant challenges in reintegrating back into the community after their release from prison.
- After-prison support
  After-prison support
  
  After prison, offenders have access to the support services and programs available to the general community.

Hopkins Correctional Centre has raised almost $6000 for the Ararat Emergency Relief Committee.

Prisoners working in horticulture at the Hopkins Correctional Centre (HCC) in Ararat have helped raise money for charity by putting their green thumbs to use.

Sales of the plants the prisoners propagated have generated $5,867 for the Ararat Emergency Relief Committee. The money will help the committee provide winter blankets, food hampers and gifts for children at Christmas time.

This is part of the work prisoners do to gain their Certificates II and III in Horticulture, giving them valuable skills to help them get a job when they leave prison.

This year the horticulture team also supplied floral tributes for the Ararat War Memorial for ANZAC Day celebrations.

HCC general manager Scott Jacques said, "Seeing the prisoners and staff work together to improve the environment for the local community is heartwarming."

Corrections Victoria supports the community in a variety of ways to not only benefit the community, but also offer prisoners an opportunity to give back and build skills to enhance their employment prospects on release.