Corrections policy
Moira DEEMING (Western Metropolitan) (12:20): (118) My question is for the Minister for Corrections. Could the minister please outline the processes and procedures which currently allow biologically male criminals who identify as female to be imprisoned in female prisons?
Enver ERDOGAN (Northern Metropolitan – Minister for Corrections, Minister for Youth Justice, Minister for Victim Support) (12:21): Thank you, Ms Deeming, for that question. I think your longstanding interest in this topic is well publicised. What I will say is that, with the policies and procedures in terms of prisoner placements more broadly, there is a department obviously that looks at these matters, and prisoner placements are made in the interests of the individual prisoner, with obviously the safety and security needs of the system as a whole, including the safety of other prisoners, also considered. Broadly speaking, that is the broad policy. But that is a decision for Corrections Victoria to make, and it is not my place to go into individual prisoner placements.
I know the context in which you are asking this question because you have been quite public about it, but what I will say is that as a government we are committed to the safety of all prisoners and everyone in our system, including trans prisoners. I think that is important to point out as a government. We have a number of policies as well for looking for improvements in relation to this area. Our government has established a trans, gender-diverse and intersex prisoner reference group to monitor issues such as those that you have raised in the past and consider opportunities for system improvements related to the management of trans, gender-diverse and intersex prisoners. As a government we are proud to embrace all Victorians.
Moira DEEMING (Western Metropolitan) (12:22): I look forward to hearing about a reference group for women prisoners’ rights. We all know that being a male at all is a risk and an unacceptable denial of sex-based rights to privacy for female prisoners, and we already know that there is one twice-convicted male rapist in the Dame Phyllis Frost correctional centre. Could you please provide an estimate of the total number of biologically male criminals that are currently housed in women’s prisons in Victoria?
Enver ERDOGAN (Northern Metropolitan – Minister for Corrections, Minister for Youth Justice, Minister for Victim Support) (12:23): I thank Ms Deeming for her supplementary question. As I stated in my substantive, it is not appropriate for me to go into individual prisoner placements. That is a decision that Corrections Victoria make in line with their policies about ensuring the safety of prisoners, the prisoner’s own preference for their placement, also other broader considerations as well as a system and the safety of other prisoners too. You need to understand that there are emerging factors in our prison system, and I think that is why the reference group is important.
It is not appropriate to take just a populist stance on these issues or what you think is a populist stance. I think it is important to take a principled stance, and as a government we are not going to take a step backwards. We are going to embrace all Victorians. We are committed to that and we will continue to do that work. We have got this reference group, and I look forward to working with them as well in terms of getting their feedback on these issues and how we can make improvements in the placement of prisoners. But there are policies in place to ensure the safety of all Victorians, and I am committed to that.