Project background

We've finished upgrading and expanding the capacity of the Dame Phyllis Frost Centre, which accommodates sentenced and on-remand female prisoners.

The project delivered 106 new beds, which will enable older accommodation to be decommissioned, and created supporting infrastructure including:

• a new reception centre
• new multi-purpose buildings
• the extension of the perimeter wall
• expanded legal and telecourt facilities.

The new buildings were designed to increase access and engagement with rehabilitation programs and help female prisoners transition into the community following their release.
 

Economic impact

The expansion of the Dame Phyllis Frost Centre created more than 130 jobs during construction, with more than 12 per cent of construction hours completed by apprentices, trainees and cadets, exceeding the targets set under the Major Project Skills Guarantee.  

The project had a strong focus on social procurement and created employment opportunities for apprentices, trainees, Aboriginal people, disadvantaged Victorians, people with disability and women who have had contact with the justice system. 

This $188.9 million upgrade forms part of the state government's $1.8 billion investment in the 2019-20 Budget to provide flexible prison capacity, deliver programs to break the cycle of reoffending and keep people out of prison.