Tuesday, 11 August 2026

 Rachel PAYNE (South-Eastern Metropolitan) (13:39): (1400) My question is for the Minister for Corrections, Minister Spence. VACCHO, Victoria’s peak Aboriginal health and wellbeing organisation, has been campaigning for better health care for people living in Victoria’s prisons. Their Transforming Care in Custody campaign calls for three things: (1) that prison health care be moved to the oversight of the Department of Health for a health-led response, (2) that all prison health care be delivered by a public health provider and (3) that an Aboriginal community controlled organisation led model of care be provided to Aboriginal people in prison. A 2022 report commissioned by the Victorian government described Victoria’s approach as ‘not working’ and ‘having devastating, intergenerational impacts on Aboriginal people and communities’. Minister, will you now work with Minister Stitt to transition prison health care to the oversight of the Department of Health and improve health care for people living in prison?

 Enver ERDOGAN (Northern Metropolitan – Minister for Finance, Minister for Casino, Gaming and Liquor Regulation, Minister for Government Services) (13:40): I thank Ms Payne for her question and her interest in health care in correctional settings. In line with the standing orders, I will pass that question to Minister Spence in the other place for a response.

 Rachel PAYNE (South-Eastern Metropolitan) (13:40): I thank the minister for referring that one on. The evidence shows that public health institutions deliver better health care to people in custody, including by properly focusing on prevention and more efficient spending. As you may be aware, prison health care in men’s prisons has been privately contracted by the Victorian government to GEO Group. In November 2025 the Victorian Ombudsman found that a supervisor at Ravenhall, run by the GEO Group, restricted a man’s access to medical help after punching him. GEO is currently under scrutiny for their operations in the US, where they are the largest recipient of private contracts with ICE to run immigration detention centres. Minister, as corrections minister, are you satisfied with the level of health care GEO Group is providing to people in custody in Victoria?

 Enver ERDOGAN (Northern Metropolitan – Minister for Finance, Minister for Casino, Gaming and Liquor Regulation, Minister for Government Services) (13:41): I thank Ms Payne for her supplementary question. In line with the standing orders, I will seek a written response from the Minister for Corrections in the other place.