Ravenhall Correctional Centre runs differently to other prisons.

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The prison is operated by US-based company The GEO Group on a 28-year contract worth $25 billion.

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Under the new payment-by-results contract with the state government, GEO is paid bonuses if they meet targets in reducing the number of people returning to prison.

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But more than eight years since the prison opened, recidivism rates at the prison are higher than those at public prisons, and those being held there are waiting months to begin rehabilitation programs and two years to start studying, according to a new Auditor-General report.

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The Victorian Auditor-General this week released a report on Ravenhall’s rehabilitation and reintegration efforts, finding that it is failing to meet targets to reduce the number of people returning to custody and had higher recidivism rates than the state's public prisons.

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The targets for GEO include improved reintegration outcomes and reductions in reoffending by those leaving the prison.

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The prison operator runs its own rehabilitation programs and a community-based reintegration centre that assists people for up to two years following release.

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Under its contract with the Victorian government, GEO receives a performance bonus if reoffending rates are at least 12% lower than other adult prisons in the state.

It is failing to meet this target.

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According to the report, more than 37% of people released from Ravenhall in 2024-25 returning to custody within two years, slightly higher than overall rates in Victoria.

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The report found that this may be in part due to limits around the programs offered to people in prison and extended wait times to begin them.

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In the first six months of last year, just a third of people incarcerated at Ravenhall completed a rehabilitation program, and the average wait time to begin a program was 111 days.

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The wait time to start a TAFE program at the prison is two years, with just one Ravenhall staff member available to supervise the online delivery of courses.

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In the last two years, just 5% of people held at Ravenhall earned a formal TAFE qualification.

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The Victorian Ombudsman has received six complaints in recent years from people incarcerated at Ravenhall over a lack of support in accessing educational courses.

The Auditor-General also found that while the Victorian government has independently reviewed programs in its public prisons in recent years, it has not done this at Ravenhall across its entire lifetime.

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“This means [the Department of Justice and Corrective Services] does not know if any of Ravenhall’s unique programs are successful,” the report said.

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“It may be continuing to invest public funds in ineffective programs.”

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A spokesperson for the Victorian Department of Justice and Community Safety said they would “take the time to carefully consider the recommendations”.

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“Victoria has the lowest recidivism rate in eight years, showing rehabilitation efforts across the system are working,” the spokesperson told About Time.

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“It is important that all people in prison have the opportunity to participate in rehabilitation programs and we continue to ensure these are delivered in all Victorian prisons.”

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The Auditor-General highlighted the relative low percentage of overall prison spend that is allocated to rehabilitation and reintegration.

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The Victorian government spends less than 14% of its overall public prison budget on these aspects, while GEO spends 17.5%.

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“Although reducing reoffending would decrease prisons’ high operational costs, the state’s level of investment in rehabilitation and reintegration is comparatively low,” the report said.