The Allan Labor Government is expanding Victoria's youth justice system to keep the community safe.
With remand rates for young people increasing by 46 per cent year-on-year, an initial 30 beds will be opened as part of a new model at the Malmsbury Youth Justice Centre.
These beds will be for a lower-risk cohort aged 17 years and over - freeing up more custodial beds at Cherry Creek and Parkville Youth Justice Centres for serious high-risk offenders.
The new model at Malmsbury will deliver a more intensive program of education, vocational training and job opportunities for this lower-risk cohort.
It will also allow more tailored programs to be offered to young people at Cherry Creek and Parkville.
This includes recent changes to the Youth Justice Act allowing rehabilitation programs to be offered to young people on remand - not just when sentenced.
To support the opening of these beds at Malmsbury, 114 staff members will be recruited to work at the Centre.
Recent recruitment drives for more youth justice workers has seen a significant strengthening of Victoria's Youth Justice workforce, with record levels of applications received.
Works will begin immediately to upgrade the infrastructure and security at Malmsbury, with the extra beds to come online in a staged approach from early next year.
It builds on the Government's investment in this year's Budget to open a further 88 beds at our youth justice facilities and almost 1,000 extra beds in the adult prison system.
As stated by Minister for Youth Justice Enver Erdogan
"Our tough new bail laws are working - remand numbers are up - so we need more prison beds for young people."
"We are all horrified by these violent and brazen crimes that are increasingly committed by children."
"We're expanding the youth justice system to take serious youth offenders off the streets while also providing opportunities to lower-risk young people to get back on track and away from crime."
