By Morgan Reinwald and Angela Crawford
Malmsbury residents, the local MP and the local Indigenous organisation were all completely unaware of plans by the state government to reopen the Malmsbury Youth Justice Centre.
The move is aimed to accommodate strict new bail laws designed to curb the excessive rate of reoffending by youth criminals awaiting trial.
The announcement today contradicts claims made to the Midland Express by the Department of Justice, just weeks ago, that there were no plans to reopen the justice centre.
The government has confirmed an initial 30 beds will be opened as part of a new model at the MYJC, as remand rates for young people have increased by 46 per cent year-on-year.
“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,” a department spokesperson said.
“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.”
The spokesperson said 114 staff members would be recruited to work at the centre and works would begin immediately to upgrade infrastructure and security.
Extra beds will come online in a staged approach from early next year.
RESIDENTS IN SHOCK
President of the Malmsbury Progress Association, Ross Cornell, said no one in the town was made aware of it reopening.
“I haven’t had time to really digest it, but I was shocked because we haven’t heard anything,” he said.
“The working group hasn’t heard anything. And all I’ve heard is what’s been filtering down through news outlets that it’s going to reopen. One of our members sent an email off to Mary-Anne Thomas yesterday or the day before, and she said that it was a rumour, a baseless rumour. So that’s an interesting one”.
The Express viewed the email – sent yesterday – in which the MP’s staff member said there was “no substance to this rumour”.
Cornell added that the local Indigenous corporation was also completely unaware.
“We’ve heard nothing. And we’ve also had a meeting with the head of the DJAARA people, and they hadn’t heard anything either,” he said.
“And also in the local paper [Midland Express], they expressed maybe a month or six weeks ago, there was an article on it about the OH&S issues up there, safety issues. And it said in that article from the Justice Department, that there was no way it would be re-opening.”
In September, the Express reported that a Department of Justice and Community Safety spokesperson said the State Budget provided funding for 88 rooms to open across the Cherry Creek and Parkville youth justice facilities and a further 320 new frontline and operational support roles to be recruited by the end of the year.
“This year’s budget provided $727 million to ramp up capacity in Victoria’s youth justice and corrections systems to make sure they’re ready for increased demand,” the spokesperson said.
Kat, another local resident, agreed it shouldn’t be reopened.
“I think it’s a real shame they’re re-opening it. I think they should put those funds into social services and reoffending to stop youths from reoffending,” she said.
Another resident, who wished to remain anonymous, said, “I don’t mind it. It’s a needed service. A name change would be beneficial to help alleviate a negative perception of Malmsbury as a town”.
A HISTORY OF VIOLENCE
Earlier this year, WorkSafe charged the Department of Justice and Community Safety for a 2023 incident that failed to keep the workplace safe. The incident saw 13 inmates arm themselves with improvised weapons while staff took refuge in the unit’s ‘fishbowl’ office. Offenders beat on the windows with their makeshift weapons and challenged staff members to “do something” about it.
Over the course of about an hour, the 13 inmates unlocked, cornered and brutally attacked five rival inmates, hitting them repeatedly with sharpened broom and mop handles, stabbing, kicking and stomping on them, pulling out the hair of one and spraying and smashing another with a fire extinguisher.
Three victims were taken to hospital and one was treated by paramedics, with injuries ranging from broken fingers and fractured facial bones to knocked out teeth, bruising, blurred vision and haematomas. In two incidents victims were made to kiss each other while their assailants streamed them on social media, while laughing and taunting them.
In January of 2017, another riot at the centre led to a mass escape of inmates who later went on a rampage of assaults, armed robberies, aggravated carjackings and other serious offences.
