Barwon Prison unit reclassified as youth detention centre

The Andrews Government is confident any challenge to changes it has made to Barwon Prison to keep 12 youth offenders in the prison will fail.

The Government has re-classified the Grevillia unit as a youth justice facility.

This comes after an appeal court ruled the teens could not be held in an adult prison.

Youth Affairs Minister Jenny Mikakos tells 3AW’s Tony Jones the facility now meets the standard for young prisoners.

‘And I should stress that the young offenders will continue to be held in a separate secure facility within the prison, right away from the main stream population,’ says Minister Mikakos.

She tells 3AW Mornings, ‘There is no interaction at all with the adult prisoners.’

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