In 2021, the Minister for Corrections at the time, formed an Expert Panel to conduct a Cultural Review of the Adult Custodial Corrections System (the Review).
The Expert Panel had three independent expert advisors:
- Tim Cartwright
Former Assistant Commissioner Victoria Police - Jill Gallagher AO
CEO Victorian Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation - Greg Smith AM
Former Deputy President, Fair Work Commission
About the Review
The Review examined the culture, experiences, systems, and processes within Victoria's public and private prisons and correctional centres.
The Review:
- Drew on research and data
- Listened to people who have experience in the corrections system
- Provided recommendations
The recommendations aim to make a safer corrections system focused on:
- respect
- equality
- transparency
- and support.
The Review recognised the continued over-representation of Aboriginal people in custody. It looked carefully at Aboriginal cultural safety and self-determination.
Read the Review's report
Victorian Government response
The Victorian Government welcomes the Review’s report Safer Prisons, Safer People, Safer Communities (the Report).
The Review’s recommendations represent the most significant and wide-ranging changes to the corrections system in decades.
The recommendations will have implications on:
- policy
- funding
- legal matters
- cultural aspects
- and operations.
We must consider these implications carefully as they will be the subject of our future decisions.
We will listen to and work closely with those who are impacted on a day-to-day basis, to ensure that the adult custodial corrections system is:
- safer
- more modern
- and better-supported.
The Report is crucial for guiding the transformation of our corrections system over the next decade. We will also continue seeking advice from stakeholders and other reports and inquiries already in progress.
Acknowledgement
Thank you to the Expert Panel and secretariat for their comprehensive Report.
We also thank the 1700 people who contributed to the review, including staff and those in custody.
Read the full Victorian Government response
Reviewed 23 March 2023