Port Phillip Prison

Car

From Melbourne

From Spencer Street turn right at Flinders Street and continue along Charles Grimes Bridge Road. Follow the signs and take the Westgate Freeway westbound.

Take the Grieve Parade exit and, at the roundabout, take the third exit onto Dohertys Road.

The prison is on the corner of Dohertys and Palmers Roads, Laverton North.

From Princes Highway

Continue along the Princes Highway city-bound and take the Old Geelong Road exit at Laverton.

At the roundabout, take the second exit onto Fitzgerald Road in Laverton North.

At the second roundabout, take the third exit onto Dohertys Road, Laverton North.

Public transport

To Laverton railway station

The bus departs from Sunshine Railway Station Bus Terminal (bus 400) and runs via the overpass, Durham Road, Anderson Road, Forrest Street, Tilburn Road, Station Road, Western Highway (Ballarat Road), Westwood Drive, Robinsons Road and Riding Boundary Road to the Dame Phyllis Frost Centre. The bus then departs via Riding Boundary Road, Robinsons Road and Middle Road to the Metropolitan Remand Centre. It then departs from the Metropolitan Remand Centre via Middle Road, Robinsons Road, Palmers Road, Dohertys Road to Port Phillip Prison. It then travels via Dohertys Road, Fitzgerald Road, Old Geelong Road, Bladin Street, Wright Street, Thomas Street, Woods Street, Lohse Street and Maher Road to the terminus at Laverton Railway Station.

To Sunshine railway station

Buses will travel in the reverse direction. Westrans (Altona) operates this service.

Contact Westrans (Altona) on 03 9398 2712.

To visit a prisoner, you must be on their approved list. Once you are on the list, you can make arrangements to visit a prisoner according to the visit sessions times listed below.

Prisoners are responsible for ensuring a visit is booked.

All visitors must follow the COVIDSafe visiting procedures. 

Professional and special visitors can use the following email address to book visits: pppvisits@au.g4s.com (External link)

Visit conditions

• visitors are required to arrive 30 minutes prior to their booking time
• visitors who are late will not be permitted entry into the prison
• no access to outside garden area during visits until normal service are resumed
• vending machines are currently unavailable to reduce touch points and help prevent the transmission of coronavirus (COVID-19). Food and drink (excluding water on request and baby formula/milk/drink for young children) will not be permitted during visits at this time.

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.

Ahead of your visit please read the Port Phillip Prison Visitor Information including dress standards.

Prisoners are encouraged to maintain contact with their family and friends and one way to do this, is via 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.

Security level

Maximum

Accommodation

• 13 accommodation units each with a kitchen servery, tea room, laundry, day room, recreation area and outside courtyard
• each cell within units have a shower, hand basin, toilet, desk, chair, television, kettle, storage shelves, intercom and bed
• 20-bed inpatient hospital unit

History

Port Phillip Prison was the third privately operated prison to open in Victoria. It received its first prisoners on 10 September 1997.

The operator's contract was extended in 2016: see the Project Summary for further information.