By Jaidyn Kennedy
More than 1400 people have signed a petition on Change.org requesting the state government keep the maximum security Port Phillip Prison open as a remand centre instead of closing it completely.
Scheduled to close by the end of the year, male prisoners from the Truganina facility will be gradually transferred to the new Western Plains Correctional Centre in Lara.
A corrections officer who spoke to Star Weekly on the condition of anonymity, said closing Port Phillip could lead to hundreds of jobs being lost.
The officer said many experienced staff from G4S, the company in charge of custodial services at Port Phillip, may be unwilling to transfer their credentials to Corrections Victoria (CV) which will run Western Plains.
She said the reason for this reluctance is not having their existing instrument of authority documents, which allow them to work as corrections officers, recognised by CV.
“The staff are being told we have to re-apply for these positions if we want to work at Western Plains when we already hold [these documents] and are qualified to work at Port Phillip Prison,” she said.
“The application process is simpler for a member of the community to go through than it is for a G4S employee to transfer over to CV.
“Due to this, a large volume of staff who lack experience will be running a new maximum security facility, which is concerning on its own,” she said.
She added that while the majority of Port Phillip staff reside in the western suburbs and Geelong region, many commute from all over Melbourne.
“I personally reside over 1 hour 40 minutes drive from Western Plains where they are only offering positions for. Those that work outside of the Geelong area will be heavily impacted.”
A state government spokesperson said that the new Western Plains facility has room to house more prisoners than the old facility and a recruitment campaign will be conducted for affected staff.
“A dedicated recruitment campaign is still ongoing for Port Phillip staff to take on roles at Western Plains and we’re continuing to provide opportunities to affected staff,” the spokesperson said.
