Thursday, 30 November 2023

Ministers statements: prison programs

Enver ERDOGAN (Northern Metropolitan – Minister for Corrections, Minister for Youth Justice, Minister for Victim Support) (12:26): Last week I had the pleasure of visiting the Greyhound Adoption Program at Tarrengower Prison. I was joined by my colleague in the other place the Speaker of the Legislative Assembly and member for Bendigo West Maree Edwards. The Greyhound Adoption Program first started at Dhurringile Prison in 2007 and commenced at Tarrengower Prison in 2009. It was started in recognition of the rehabilitative effects that caring for and training dogs can have for people in custody. Delivered in partnership with Greyhound Racing Victoria, former racing dogs are trained by selected participants over a four-week period to ensure they are suitable for adoption. The dogs are schooled in walking on a lead, basic obedience training and adapting to life in a home. Through this fantastic initiative, hundreds of dogs have been rehomed and have no doubt become much-loved members of families right across Victoria.

But the dogs are not the only ones who benefit from this program. We know that people leaving prison with a skill or trade and connections to the community are more likely to successfully reintegrate into the community and are less likely to reoffend. The Greyhound Adoption Program serves this objective by providing the opportunity for participants to gain valuable new skills that can assist with their ability to find new employment once released. There is also an opportunity to obtain an animal management qualification through a partnership with Bendigo Kangan TAFE. Rehabilitation and reintegration programs like the Greyhound Adoption Program are invaluable in providing people in custody with the important skills and self-esteem to support their reintegration back into the community. That improves community safety for all of us. I am proud that our corrections system in Victoria is providing an opportunity for people in custody to work together and achieve a common goal, benefiting both the greyhounds and the women at Tarrengower Prison.