Coronavirus (COVID-19) information
Visiting a prison
All personal visits to adult prisons are suspended from Saturday 21 March 2020.
While personal visits are cancelled, prisoners will have increased access to phone calls. We also encourage prisoners and visitors to write letters.
Personal visits will resume on advice from health authorities. We will keep prisoners and visitors updated.
Video-based visits have been implemented in all public and private prisons. More information on this is available on the Contacting a prisoner page.
Entering custody
Comprehensive plans are in place to manage infectious diseases in our prisons. These plans reflect the actions that are being taken in the broader community, and consider the unique environment of prisons.
When entering prison custody, prisoners are being asked a range of questions to determine their risk of Coronavirus (COVID-19). All prisoners receive a medical screening by a general practitioner within 24 hours of entering prison custody, and can access medical care throughout their imprisonment.
Please see Our response to Coronavirus (COVID-19) page for more information.
The latest on Coronavirus (COVID-19) is available on the Department of Health and Human Services website (External link).
Prison sites
Across Victoria, there are 11 publicly operated prisons, three privately operated prisons (Fulham Correctional Centre, Port Phillip Prison and Ravenhall Correctional Centre) and one transition centre, Judy Lazarus Transition Centre.
Beechworth Correctional Centre
Dame Phyllis Frost Centre (Women only)
Judy Lazarus Transition Centre
Loddon Prison Precinct (Middleton)
Marngoneet Correctional Centre (Karreenga)
Tarrengower Prison (Women only)
The Department of Justice and Community Services is currently examining a number of options to manage the ongoing growth of the prison population in Victoria.
You can register your details to be kept up-to-date about the Expanding Victoria's prison system.
Corrections Victoria – a business unit of the Department of Justice and Community Safety – is responsible for prison management in Victoria and all prisoners in both publicly and privately-managed prisons, including administering the contracts of the two private prison providers. Corrections Victoria is responsible for achieving the appropriate balance between a high level of community safety and the humane treatment of prisoners, focusing on strategies to rehabilitate prisoners in custody and tackling the underlying causes of crime to reduce reoffending. It sets, monitors and reviews standards in both public and private prisons, undertakes business planning, and initiates and manages correctional infrastructure programs.
The Justice Assurance and Review Office (JARO), formerly the Office of Correctional Services Review, is a business unit within the Department of Justice and Community Safety (the department). It exists to assist the Secretary to fulfil his statutory obligations under the Corrections Act 1986 (Vic) and the Children, Youth and Families Act 2005(Vic).
The Security and Emergency Services Group (SESG) provides high-level support to all areas of Corrections Victoria, through its service delivery and ongoing policy committment.
The Women's Correctional Services Advisory Committee provides expert advice on the delivery of correctional services to women.
Download a map of the locations of all prisons and community corrections offices in Victoria.