Victoria is now at breaking point, with police forced to hold prisoners in police cells and prioritise who they arrest because the Allan Labor Government has shut prisons and run out of beds. This compromises the safety of every Victorian.
Victoria Police is already 2000 members short, and instead of being out on the beat protecting the community, police are babysitting prisoners in police cells.
Recent closures have stripped more than 1400 beds from Victoria's correctional system:
- Malmsbury Youth Justice Centre - closed in December 2023, about 152 beds lost.
- Dhurringile Prison - closed August 2024, about 214 beds lost.
- Port Phillip Prison - scheduled to close by the end of this year, 1087 beds to be lost.
Shadow Minister for Police and Corrections, David Southwick, said the crisis was the direct result of more than a decade of neglect.
"The crime crisis didn't happen overnight. It has been a decade in the making, and instead of planning for more capacity Labor has closed three prisons and cut staff. The result is more criminals left on our streets to re-offend, while communities are left to pay the price.
"This is the price of poor planning and failed decisions. Victorians deserve better than a government that compromises safety, puts dangerous offenders back on our streets, and can't even manage the basics of our prison system.
"Victorians are paying $20 million a day just to cover the interest on Labor's debts, that's money that should be spent on more police, more nurses, and better roads.
"Labor can't manage money, can't manage crime and Victorians are paying the price."
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