Thursday, 20 February 2020

Port Phillip Prison

Mr SOUTHWICK (Caulfield) (17:20): (1924) I rise to raise an adjournment matter for the Minister for Corrections. The action that I seek from the minister is that he fully investigate the situation that is going on in Port Phillip Prison. We have had three incidents in as many days. We had a report of two terrorists that had been running a program in Port Phillip Prison to radicalise up to a dozen prisoners. Those prisoners that had been reported to have been radicalised are not on any watchlist, and the concern is that those prisoners, when they are let out of prison, will be a threat to the community. We saw reports yesterday of a prison guard having to make his way to a medical centre after being stabbed multiple times by a prisoner, again in Port Phillip Prison.

As I speak here tonight, apparently there are prisoners on the roof of Port Phillip Prison. This is a prison that is in a complete mess and that needs to be fully investigated. I ask the minister to provide a full report, a full investigation into what is going on and a reassurance to Victorians that there will be proper steps in place to ensure that the safety of the community is paramount and certainly that the safety of those prison guards that are working in that prison is not at risk. This is a real concern to the community. It is clear that the minister has completely lost control of his portfolio and that that prison is a complete mess, as is the whole corrections system here in Victoria.