A troubled youth prison in central Victoria will close by the end of the year.
The Malmsbury Youth Justice Centre will shut and detainees transferred to the Melbourne Youth Justice Centre in Parkville and the new $420 million Cherry Creek facility near Little River.
Youth Justice Minister Enver Erdogan said Cherry Creek, located near Werribee, will open its doors and begin housing young people within weeks.
“It comes at an ideal time because our youth justice system is experiencing the lowest numbers in custody this century,” Mr Erdogan said.
“As of yesterday [June 12], there are 100 young people in custody in Victoria.”
Malmsbury has been operational since 1965 and has battled problems for years with inmate riots, staff shortages and escapes.
By the end of the year there will be 56 people aged between 15 and 18 years at Cherry Creek and others moved to Parkville Correctional Centre.
Mr Erdogan said the new centre is purpose-built and features an intensive intervention community, a sp ecialised primary health centre and two mental health units.
It will accommodate young people in smaller units of four, so staff can provide more targeted and individual support in a safer environment including modern security systems.
The opening of Cherry Creek follows a review into Victoria’s youth justice system and includes additional training and responsibilities that support the delivery of psychosocial programs and case management for staff at Cherry Creek and Parkville.
Cherry Creek will meet the recommendations of a review of the state’s youth justice system released in mid-2017.
The design also follows advice from independent experts and has drawn on insights from another review led by former Victoria Police chief commissioner Neil Comrie.
That review had focused on a series of riots at the Parkville centre in November 2017.
The new youth justice facility was initially to be built in Werribee South, but faced community backlas h so it was moved further west to Cherry Creek – furt her away from residential and tourist areas.
Malmsbury staff were notified of the impending closure by email on Tuesday.
“We’ll be working to maximise job transfers to rosters at the new site over the next six months and exploring other Department of Justice opportunities in Bendigo for those not wishing to continue in youth justice,” a spokesman for the Victorian branch of the Community and Public Sector Union told AAP.
Youth Justice Commissioner Andrea Davidson, in a statement, thanked Malmsbury staff for their dedication and commitment to the young people in their care.
