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37°49′42″S 144°45′8″E / 37.82833°S 144.75222°E / -37.82833; 144.75222 Port Phillip Prison is a maximum security prison located at Truganina, Victoria, Australia. It is Victoria's largest maximum security prison, able to accommodate up to 1117 prisoners. The prison is privately operated on behalf of the Government of Victoria by G4S Australia Pty Ltd. The prison is expected to close in December 2025, with prisoners to be relocated to the Western Plains Correctional Centre in Lara.

History

Originally cited to be called Metropolitan Men's Prison the facility was renamed prior to its opening to Port Phillip Prison. The facility was the third privately-operated prison to open in Victoria. It received its first prisoners on 10 September 1997.

G4S confirmed that a prison officer resigned in April 2016 after 100 weapons were seized from his home by Victoria Police as part of an ongoing investigation into firearms offences.

In 2022, a 16 year old boy was held in maximum security for almost four months, against advice from the sentencing judge, during which time he was routinely held in isolation and confined to his cell for 23 hours a day.

Accommodation units

The prison consists of 13 accommodation units including a youth unit named Penhyn for young adult inmates aged 18–25 who are first time offenders only with no criminal record. All other under 25 prisoners are sent to mainstream units. The induction unit named Matilda is divided into two and all prisoners spend time there before being located to other accommodation units. Cells within the units have a shower, hand basin, toilet, desk, chair, television, storage shelves, intercom and bed.

The prison operates a 20-bed inpatient hospital unit.

Notable prisoners

• Julian Knight, perpetrator of the 1987 Hoddle Street massacre.
• Jason Joseph Roberts, convicted of the Silk-Miller police murders.
• Paul Denyer moved to Hopkins correctional centre in 2003 remains there today, the "Frankston Serial Killer".
• Blair Cottrell, Chairman of the United Patriots Front, convicted of stalking and arson.
• Peter Dupas, convicted serial killer.

References

1. "Port Phillip Prison".
2. ^ "Port Phillip Prison". G4S. Archived from the original on 2 April 2012. Retrieved 27 October 2011.
3. ^ "Port Phillip Prison". Department of Justice, Victoria. Retrieved 27 October 2011.
4. Rooney, Kieran; Carmody, Broede (26 June 2024). "Port Phillip Prison to close as new Lara centre opens". The Age. Retrieved 30 June 2024.
5. Private Contract Management of Prisons – Exploring Key Policy and Implementation Issues (PDF). Australian Institute of Criminology. 16–17 June 1997. p. 145. Retrieved 27 October 2011.
6. "Prison officer resigns after police probe into firearm offences". Herald Sun. 17 November 2017.
7. Bucci, Nino (9 October 2022). "'Dying is normal in this jail': teenager held in Port Phillip prison for four months". Guardian Australia. Retrieved 12 June 2023.
8. "DPP v Debs & Roberts [2003] VSC 30 (24 February 2003)". Retrieved 4 December 2015.
9. "Minister wants answers on police killer's model role". 7 March 2003. Retrieved 4 December 2015.
10. "Blair Cottrell jail interviews". Youtube. Archived from the original on 21 December 2021.

• G4S
• 1997 establishments in Australia
• Prisons in Melbourne
• Maximum security prisons in Australia
• Private prisons in Australia
• Government buildings completed in 1997
• Buildings and structures in the City of Wyndham