Metropolitan Remand Centre

Car

Via the Westgate Freeway: from the city take the Westgate Freeway and exit at the Western Ring Road.

Exit at the Western Highway (to Ballarat). Exit at Robinsons Road (left) then first right into Middle Road.

NOTE: Do not use Derrimut Road to get to Middle Road as it is cut off by the railway line. You need to travel via Robinsons Road.

Via the Hume Freeway: from the Hume Freeway, veer right onto the Western Ring Road.

Exit at the Western Highway (to Ballarat). Exit at Robinsons Road (left) then first right into Middle Road.

Public transport

To Laverton railway station

The bus departs from Sunshine Railway Station Bus Terminal (Bay 13, bus no. 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

Bus 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 book a visit according to the visit session times listed below.

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.

Visitors need to follow the COVIDSafe visiting procedures. 

Visitors need to arrive one hour prior to their scheduled visit to allow time for processing and security checks. Processing and security checks will strictly cease 30 minutes prior to the visit.

Professional visits see also timetable below.

Mainstream visits

No visits on Tuesdays (except for professional visits), Christmas Day or Good Friday. On these days the visit centre will be closed.

Metropolitan Remand Centre visitors information booklet

For conditions of entry that apply to all prisons, such as general behaviour and the search process, refer to the general information for contacting and visiting prisoners. The following are additional details specific to Metropolitan Remand Centre (MRC).

• First time visitors to Metropolitan Remand Centre will need to allow extra time for registration before the visit can begin.
• Prisoners are not permitted in the visit centre before their visitor. Visitors are checked in through the visitors' reception centre where their names are taken, identification checked and any approved property booked in. The prisoner is then called for a visit and will report to the officers' station where staff shall ensure the prisoner is properly dressed (in visit overalls) and searched to ensure no contraband is taken to the visit centre.
• Throughout the visit it is the responsibility of visitors to ensure children are well behaved and that they remain in the visit centre.
• Unfortunately at this time, books, toys and play equipment will not be accessible for children during visits to help prevent the transmission of COVID-19
• Smoking is not permitted inside the visit centre.
• Food and drink (excluding water on request and baby formula/milk/drink for young children) will not be permitted during visits at this time to help prevent the transmission of COVID-19. The visit centre canteen will be closed and vending machines will be unavailable.
• At the end of the visit, visitors must return their visitors pass and can collect any outgoing property from the visitors' reception centre.

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.

The following items may be left for prisoners without management approval and retained by prisoners in their cell (fluorescent colours and camouflage are not permitted). This list has been compiled to be as detailed as possible, however, it is important to note that acceptance of any items of property is at the discretion of MRC staff.

• 3 plain white t-shirts or long sleeved tops
• 3 plain singlets
• 2 plain black sports shorts (above the knee, no high cut running shorts/ footy shorts, no cargo shorts, no lycra/ skins, no zips, no velcro and no logos or motifs)
• 7 pairs of briefs or boxer shorts (new only, tags and packaging intact)
• 7 pairs of socks (new only, tags and packaging intact)
• 2 pairs of thermal underwear- long johns (new only, tags and packaging intact)
• 2 pairs of thermal underwear- tops (new only, tags and packaging intact)
• 2 sets of pyjamas (new only, tags and packaging intact)
• 6 standard sized photographs per visit (no Polaroids)
• 1 hat or cap (plain, no motifs)
• 1 pair of shoe laces
• 1 suit (for court), no navy coloured trousers
• 1 collared dress shirt (for court), no light blue colours
• 1 tie (for court)
• 1 belt (for court)
• 1 pair of shoes (closed in, dress type for court)
• Approved magazines, books or newspapers – 3 in total per visit (The MRC will not accept items that contain erotic material or depictions of nudity, military or weaponry related articles, tattoo publications, drug, hydroponic or homebrew material, depictions of excessive violence including video game/ computer magazines or any other themes that are deemed inappropriate or offensive).

All other property should be considered as unauthorised unless prior approval has been granted.

Please note the following:

1. All property that is dropped off must be clean and in a reasonable condition.
2. Prisoners are issued with an allowance of prison issue clothing upon arrival at the MRC. This includes t-shirts, track-suits, shorts, a jacket, socks and briefs. A hat and a pair of runners will also be issued if required.
3. All personal property stored in-cell is the responsibility of the prisoner. The MRC is not responsible for any lost or damaged personal property that is stored within prisoners’ cells.
4. Prisoners must seek prior approval before any property is sent in via mail to the MRC. If approval has not been granted before property is received via the mailroom, it may be returned to sender.
5. Since 5 August 2019, the Metropolitan Remand Centre (MRC) has been washing all garments (hot wash) which are dropped off or mailed in for prisoners. MRC will not be liable for any damage caused to these items as a result of this process.  
6. Informal footwear, such as runners and thongs, will not be accepted at the MRC. These items can be purchased by the prisoner through the MRC Special Spend Request process or via the MRC’s canteen.
7. Prisoners may also seek approval to purchase additional items, such as runners, stereos and CD’s through the MRC Special Spend Request process. Approved purchases are then ordered through the prison store.
8. The MRC has the capacity to store one personal property box per prisoner. Property exceeding this allocation will be required to be sent out or disposed of. Prisoners may request that any excess property be sent out, collected by family or friends or disposed of. Property that exceeds the above allowances may not be accepted at the MRC.
9. All property dropped off by visitors will be delivered to the prisoners as soon as practicable.

Refer to the Sending Money section of the contacting and visiting prisoners page for details about how much money can be deposited for a prisoner and in what format.

Please do not deposit any cash into the 'mailbox' in the front foyer as no staff member is responsible for the security of that box. Any cash placed in the 'mailbox' will not be accepted on the prisoner's behalf until a family member reclaims it and follows correct procedures for payment of cash into a prisoner’s account.

Money orders and bank cheques may be posted or delivered (by a valid visitor) to the prison a few days prior to the end of the month for the following month, however these will be placed in the internal mail (to the Finance department) and will not be processed until the first of the new month.

When money orders are received via the mail office, the envelope is stamped to advise the prisoner that a money order has been received. On completion of sorting the inward mail the money orders are also passed onto the MRC's Finance Department for processing the next business day.

If money is received from a person who is not on the approved visitor list, the prisoner is advised and has seven days to have the person included on their visitors list. Otherwise, the money order will be sent back to the sender, unless prior approval has been obtained.

Security level

Maximum security remand

Accommodation

The centre is designed on campus-style lines. Accommodation is a mix of single and double cells in variable-sized units. They are built to the state's Building Design Review Project standards. Facilities include:

• two 77-bed and one 87-bed general accommodation units
• one 127-bed protection unit
• one 88-bed orientation unit
• 204 beds in varied units allocated for special needs such as (but not limited to) vulnerable prisoners, young adult, prisoners at risk
• one 13-bed management unit

Each accommodation unit has program and resource facilities, interview rooms and satellite clinics and each area has its own recreational facilities including a walking track and basketball courts.

History

Metropolitan Remand Centre is one of three prison facilities built as part of the redevelopment of Victoria's corrections system under the Corrections Long Term Management Strategy. The Remand Centre officially opened in April 2006.

The project was designed and delivered under a Partnerships Victoria project. The Department's Major Project Delivery Services team administers the partnership with private sector partners responsible for construction and maintenance of the accommodation, security systems, buildings and grounds.