Victorian Liberals plan teen bootcamp at closed Dhurringile Prison
Summary
- Victorian Opposition Leader Jess Wilson announced a Coalition plan to run a bootcamp for young offenders at the former Dhurringile Prison near Murchison.
- Courts could send offenders aged 14 to 17 to the bootcamp as an alternative to community corrections orders or other custodial sentences if the Coalition wins the November election.
- Participants would undertake daily farm work, cleaning, maintenance, cooking and education, based on Queensland's Circuit Breaker program.
- The Dhurringile Prison site closed in September 2024 and has since generated no income, with maintenance costing just over $2 million in the first year after closure.
- Labor says its alternative is a fully costed $204 million mandatory rehabilitation detention plan and questions the Coalition's costing and opening date.
Reactions
- Labor called the bootcamp announcement a "half-baked thought bubble" and said the Liberals could not say what it would cost or when it would open.
- A Labor spokesperson said the government has a fully costed $204 million plan with a clear legislative pathway and facilities to start immediately.
- Jess Wilson said the program would instill discipline and respect and give young offenders a second chance to build a meaningful life.
- Nationals candidate Shane Sali forecast the program would create opportunities for the local area while addressing issues affecting Goulburn Valley communities.
- Premier Ben Carroll did not specifically respond to the bootcamp plan at Labor's campaign launch, instead announcing a second police academy in Melbourne's west.
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Liberals announce plans for teen prison bootcamp for young offenders
abc.net.au· 7h
An ABC Shepparton article reports that Victorian Opposition Leader Jess Wilson has announced a Coalition plan to run a bootcamp for young offenders aged 14 to 17 at the closed Dhurringile Prison near Murchison, based on Queensland's Circuit Breaker program. Labor calls it a "half-baked thought bubble" and says its own $204 million plan is fully costed.
