HM Prison Dhurringile

Last updated

HM Prison Dhurringile
Dhurringile.jpg
HM Prison Dhurringile
Location Dhurringile, Victoria, Australia
Statusclosed
Security classMinimum security
Capacity214
Opened1965
Closed2024
Managed by Corrections Victoria

HM Prison Dhurringile was a minimum security prison located in Dhurringile, Victoria, Australia. Situated 160 km north of Melbourne near Murchison, it was based around the historic Dhurringile estate.

Contents

Facilities

The Dhurringile mansion had not been used to house prisoners since 2007, when new buildings were opened. The main unit was called Kyabram and housed 54 prisoners in cell accommodations. The unit had two sides, South and North. South was the reception side, where all new arrivals were housed prior to being moved into cottage accommodation. The North side was for medical hold prisoners who needed to be located within the unit on a permanent basis.

The prison also contained cottages in both C1 and C2 classifications. The C1 cottages were: Merrigum (1, 2, and 3), Kyouga (1 and 2), Echuca (1, 2, and 3), Tatchera (1, 2, and 3), and Tallygaroopna (1 and 2). Each C1 cottage housed six prisoners, each with their own bedroom. There was a main lounge area with a TV and other amenities. The prisoners in these accommodations collected their meals from the main mess hall every day, as there were no cooking facilities located within the cottages. There were also three C1 self-catered units where cooking was done within the unit.

There were three main C2 units called Garnya (1, 2, and 3), Dhugalla (1, 2, and 3), and Benalla (1, 2, and 3); these units were fully self-catered. Each prisoner had their own bedroom, and there was a large kitchen and living area. The units had two bathrooms and two toilets. Food for these units was ordered off a grocery list, and the unit was allocated $275 per week to buy groceries. Prisoners from these units were not permitted to attend the mess hall for any meals.

There was a 12-bed unit called 'Wyuna' for long-term C2 prisoners nearing the end of their sentences. Selection was required to enter this unit; prisoners could not simply request placement. The unit was composed of bedrooms with en suites. Like any C2 unit, it was unlocked at night, but prisoners obtained their meals from the mess hall.

Upgrades

A new kitchen, medical, library, and administration building was opened in mid-2010. It was a state-of-the-art facility. Musters were then conducted on the balcony of this building instead of in the mansion, where they had previously been held. Most musters at the jail were held at the prisoners' units or by their doors if they were located in Kyabram. However, all work musters from Monday through Friday were held on this balcony.

A 54-bed expansion was opened by Andrew McIntosh, Minister for Corrections on 31 July 2012. [1]

The prison continued to expand. In January 2014, 50 converted shipping containers were established on-site to house 100 prisoners. Other expansion works were underway in early 2014 to build more permanent accommodation for Victoria's growing prisoner population.

Work

All prisoners were expected to work while located at the prison. There were a variety of work opportunities. The main two industries were wooden products and metal fabrication, where most prisoners were placed upon reception. Other areas of work included Horticulture (working in the main orchards), Maintenance, Gardening, or "Billet" (cleaner) jobs.

The prison was also a working dairy farm, with about 15 prisoners working in the dairy. This work involved being woken and let out of their units at 5:30 am to milk the cows. The dairy workers also milked again at about 4 pm. They worked a six-day week with one day off. Dairy workers had their own special canteen times, as they were working during the hours when other prisoners were able to attend the canteen and similar activities.

History

HM Prison Dhurringile was established in 1965 when the Government of Victoria acquired the Dhurringile mansion and former estate from the Presbyterian Church of Australia, who had used the site for the then recently-defunct Dhurringile Rural Training Farm. The site had earlier operated as an internment camp and prisoner of war camp during World War II. [2]

Escapes

On 15 February 2010, 36-year-old, convicted armed robber Jason Campbell, escaped from the prison. [3]

On 20 September 2013, 35-year-old Eray Aslan escaped but was found on 1 October 2013 in a Footscray home. [4]

On 1 August 2014, 28-year-old Vikramjit Singh escaped from the prison. [5]

Closure

Dhurringile Prison closed on 31 August 2024 following a significant reduction in demand for minimum-security beds. People in custody were transferred to other suitable prison locations as part of major reforms to Victoria's men’s prison system. Corrections Victoria committed to providing a range of supports for Dhurringile staff, including opportunities to transfer to roles at other prisons, within the Department of Justice and Community Safety (DJCS), or the broader Victorian Public Service [6]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">HM Prison Pentridge</span> Prison in Victoria, Australia

HM Prison Pentridge, better known as Pentridge Prison, was an Australian prison established in 1851 in Coburg, Victoria. The first convicts arrived at the gaol in 1851. The facility closed on 1 May 1997, although some of the heritage-listed buildings still stand.

HM Prison Loddon is an Australian low-medium security prison, located in Central Victoria, Australia, approximately four kilometres from the centre of Castlemaine and 128 km north-west of Melbourne.

HM Prison Fairlea was an Australian female prison located on Yarra Bend Road in the suburb of Fairfield, Victoria, Australia. The first all-female prison in Victoria, it was built on the site of the Yarra Bend Asylum, with remnants of the walls and gates being used in the layout of the prison. In 1982 a deliberately lit fire led to the deaths of three inmates. The rebuilt and expanded prison reopened in 1986. After closing in 1996 due to privatisation of sections of the prison system, Fairlea was demolished and the site converted to parkland.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">HM Melbourne Assessment Prison</span> Remand and reception prison in Melbourne, Australia

The Melbourne Assessment Prison (MAP) is an Australian remand and reception prison located in Spencer Street, West Melbourne, Victoria. The facility is operated by Corrections Victoria.

Mount Gambier Prison is an Australian prison located in Moorak immediately south of Mount Gambier. It is managed and operated by G4S.

Cadell Training Centre is an Australian minimum security prison located in Cadell, South Australia, approximately 180 km north-east of Adelaide and 10 km from the town of Morgan. Named for the town of Cadell which is itself named after Captain Francis Cadell, who was the navigator on Charles Sturt’s successful exploration of the Murray River. The prison was officially opened on Tuesday 31 May 1960 by the Chief Secretary of South Australia, the Honourable Sir Lyell McEwin.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Goulburn Correctional Centre</span> Building

The Goulburn Correctional Centre,, is an Australian supermaximum security prison for males. It is located in Goulburn, New South Wales, three kilometres north-east of the central business district. The facility is operated by Corrective Services NSW. The Complex accepts prisoners charged and convicted under New South Wales and/or Commonwealth legislation and serves as a reception prison for Southern New South Wales, and, in some cases, for inmates from the Australian Capital Territory.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Yatala Labour Prison</span> Prison in Northfield, South Australia

Yatala Labour Prison is a high-security men's prison located in the north-eastern part of the northern Adelaide suburb of Northfield, South Australia. It was built in 1854 to enable prisoners to work at Dry Creek, quarrying rock for roads and construction. Originally known as The Stockade of Dry Creek or just The Stockade, it acquired its current name from a local indigenous Kaurna word relating to inundation by water, which was used for the Hundred of Yatala.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fremantle Prison</span> Former prison in Fremantle, Western Australia

Fremantle Prison, sometimes referred to as Fremantle Gaol or Fremantle Jail, is a former Australian prison and World Heritage Site in Fremantle, Western Australia. The site includes the prison cellblocks, gatehouse, perimeter walls, cottages, and tunnels. It was initially used for convicts transported from Britain, but was transferred to the colonial government in 1886 for use for locally-sentenced prisoners. Royal Commissions were held in 1898 and 1911, and instigated some reform to the prison system, but significant changes did not begin until the 1960s. The government department in charge of the prison underwent several reorganisations in the 1970s and 1980s, but the culture of Fremantle Prison was resistant to change. Growing prisoner discontent culminated in a 1988 riot with guards taken hostage, and a fire that caused $1.8 million worth of damage. The prison closed in 1991, replaced by the new maximum-security Casuarina Prison.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bathurst Correctional Centre</span> Building

Bathurst Correctional Centre, originally built as Bathurst Gaol in 1888, is a prison for men and women located in the city of Bathurst, New South Wales, Australia, and operated by the Department of Communities and Justice. Bathurst holds inmates sentenced under State or Australian criminal law, along with a small number of remand prisoners.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Supermax prison</span> Most secure levels of custody in the prison systems of certain countries

A super-maximum security (supermax) or administrative maximum (ADX) prison is a "control-unit" prison, or a unit within prisons, which represents the most secure level of custody in the prison systems of certain countries.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">State Correctional Institution – Graterford</span> U.S. state prison

The State Correctional Institution – Graterford, commonly referred to as SCI Graterford, known prior as Eastern Correctional Institution, Graterford Prison, Graterford Penitentiary, and the Graterford Prison Farm, was a Pennsylvania Department of Corrections prison located in Skippack Township, Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, near Graterford. The prison, located on Graterford Road off of Pennsylvania Route 29, was about 31 miles (50 km) northwest of Philadelphia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Menard Correctional Center</span> Prison in Illinois, United States

Menard Correctional Center, known prior to 1970 as Southern Illinois Penitentiary, is an Illinois state prison located in the town of Chester in Randolph County, Illinois. It houses maximum-security and high-medium-security adult males. The average daily population as of 2007 was 3,410.

Nalu at Fullham Correctional Centre is a minimum security correctional facility located outside the main walls of Fulham Correctional Centre in Sale, Victoria. It is a state-funded facility that is run by GEO Group Australia, which runs Fulham as well.

The Beechworth Correctional Centre is a minimum security prison, located in Beechworth, Victoria, Australia. It was opened in January 2005 as a replacement for the now-closed HM Prison Beechworth.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ohio Reformatory for Women</span> State prison in Marysville, Ohio, US

The Ohio Reformatory for Women (ORW) is a state prison for women owned and operated by the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction in Marysville, Ohio. It opened in September 1916, when 34 female inmates were transferred from the Ohio Penitentiary in Columbus. ORW is a multi-security, state facility. As of July 2019, 2,394 female inmates were living at the prison ranging from minimum-security inmates all the way up to one inmate on death row. It was the fifth prison in the United States, in modern times, to open a nursery for imprisoned mothers and their babies located within the institution. The Achieving Baby Care Success (ABC) program was the first in the state to keep infants with their mothers.

The Central Mississippi Correctional Facility (CMCF) is a Mississippi Department of Corrections (MDOC) prison for men and women located in an unincorporated area in Rankin County, Mississippi, United States, between the cities of Pearl and Brandon. The 171-acre (69 ha) prison was, for a period of time, the only state prison to hold female prisoners in Mississippi, in addition to minimum and medium security male offenders. It operates as the female death row of the state.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mimico Correctional Centre</span> Prison in Ontario, Canada 1887–2011

The Mimico Correctional Centre was a provincial medium-security correctional facility for adult male inmates serving a sentence of 2-years-less-a-day or less in Ontario, Canada. Its history can be traced back to 1887. The Mimico Correctional Centre is one of several facilities operated by the Ministry of Community Safety and Correctional Services and was located at 130 Horner Avenue in the district of Etobicoke which is now a part of Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The facility was closed in 2011 and demolished to make room for the new Toronto South Detention Centre which opened in 2014.

The Oakalla Prison Farm was a model prison farm on 185 acres (75 ha) of land next to Deer Lake, Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada. The Oakalla Prison Farm opened in 1912 and was initially designed to hold 150 men and women.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dhurringile</span> Heritage listed property in Victoria, Australia

Dhurringile is a heritage-listed mansion and former rural estate in northern Victoria, Australia. It is listed on the Victorian Heritage Register for its architectural significance as "one of Victoria's grandest homesteads", for its associations with the Winter-Irving pastoral family, and for its later uses as an internment and prisoner of war camp, boys' training home and most recently, as part of HM Prison Dhurringile.

References

  1. "Minister opens Dhurringile prison expansion". Media Release. Liberal Victoria. 31 July 2012. Retrieved 10 October 2012.
  2. "Dhurringile". Victorian Heritage Register. Heritage Council of Victoria. Retrieved 16 April 2020.
  3. "Jail escape still under investigation". ABC News. Australian Broadcasting Corporation. 17 February 2010. Retrieved 10 October 2012.
  4. "Prison escapee Eray Aslan arrested after 10 days on run". The Age. 1 October 2013. Retrieved 30 August 2017.
  5. "Ran to stay". Shepparton News. 28 August 2014. Retrieved 30 August 2017.
  6. "Major reforms to the men's prison system announced". Corrections Victoria. 26 June 2024. Retrieved 30 November 2024.

36°31′15″S145°13′41″E / 36.52083°S 145.22806°E / -36.52083; 145.22806