A 216-bed annexe at Marngoneet Correctional Centre has been officially opened – improving community safety and creating more than 150 new jobs.
The Karreenga annexe is located next to the existing Marngoneet Correctional Centre in Lara and will accommodate medium-security male prisoners.
Minister for Corrections Steve Herbert said the prison is a welcome boost to the state’s corrections system and will employ up to 121 custodial staff and 30 support staff.
About 1500 people, the majority from the local community, were part of the team who built the prison.
Karreenga will have a strong focus on rehabilitating prisoners and improving their employment prospects once they complete their sentences.
Box Hill Institute will deliver a range of education programs, while prisoners will also have access to clinical services such as drug and alcohol treatment and offending-behaviour programs.
Prisoners will be required to work in a range of jobs, including in an on-site bakery, grounds maintenance and cleaning.
The bakery will supply bread, pastries, pies and other foodstuffs to other prisons around the state.
The name Karreenga means “to grow”, and is taken from the language of the local indigenous community, the Wathaurong people.
The Victorian Budget 2016/17 delivered more than $400 million for Corrections Victoria to better protect the community from offenders and reduce recidivism.
Prisoners will progressively move into the prison from this weekend.
Quotes attributable to Minister for Corrections Steve Herbert
“The new Karreenga annex is a prison where industry, learning and working is incorporated into the daily life of prisoners - helping them transition back into the community.”
“The project created 150 new jobs for locals and provides an extra 216 beds for medium-security inmates, giving Corrections Victoria greater capacity to manage the flow of prisoners across the state.”
Reviewed 19 August 2020