Mental health care | 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.
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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.
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.

General practitioners and qualified mental health nurses provide mental health care at all prisons.

General practitioners and qualified mental health nurses provide mental health care at all prisons, with specialist support from visiting psychiatrists at most locations.

At Melbourne Assessment Prison, psychiatrists and qualified mental health nurses provide specialist mental health care to male prisoners. The Acute Assessment Unit at the Melbourne Assessment Prison is a special mental health unit that provides assessment and treatment for male prisoners with serious psychiatric conditions.

At the Dame Phyllis Frost Centre, psychiatrists and qualified mental health nurses provide mental health care to female prisoners. The Marrmak Unit at the Dame Phyllis Frost Centre provides assessment and treatment for female prisoners with serious psychiatric conditions.

Prisoners who require involuntary mental health care are transferred to Thomas Embling Hospital under the Mental Health Act 1986. Involuntary treatment is not provided in Victoria’s prisons.

The Koori Prisoner Mental Health and Cognitive Function Study delivers on a commitment of Phase Two of the Aboriginal Justice Agreement to create an evidence base to guide the development and enhancement of culturally appropriate mental health services for Aboriginal prisoners.