Privitization of Prisons

Essay by leedixonUniversity, Bachelor'sA-, June 2004

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In late October, only a year after the coalition had been elected, the Liberal party established a New Prisons Project. The new project was a first for the Victoria Penial System as traditionally the management of correctional facilities had been exclusively a Sate Government Responsibility. However since the introduction of the new Government in 1992 the Liberals challenged the approach to actively pursue private investment in infrastructure and service delivery. At the introduction of the New Prisons Project a director was appointed. It was Mr Tony Wilson's responsibility to Co-ordinate the initiative which has been unprecedented in Australian prison history in it's scope and focus.

The Project was designed to abolish some of the dilapidated out of date prisons and build three new, modern and outsourced correctional facilities. Of those being closed were Fairlea's women's prison, Sale and Morwell Prisons. Further closures saw the doors shut behind The Coburg complex which held the Pentridge Prison and the Metropolitan Reception Prison.

The closing of the Metropolitan Reception Prison saw the total being brought up to 5 prison closures.

By the end of 1996 The Metropolitan Women's Correctional Centre was officially opened for business. By the end of 1997 Fulham Correctional Centre and Mens Metropolitan Prison (Port Phillip) were to join and complete the list of 3 privatised prisons.

Since the introduction of privatised prisons there have been many contrary opinions to the intelligence of the idea.. Questions have been raised as to weather it is really just a profit making exercise or is it actually improving our prison system. It has also been questioned as to who are the real winners in the scenario . Is it the state of Victoria, the prisoners, or what is seemed to be the popular belief- the operators of the private prisons. It seems in...