THE Victorian Government is under fire for releasing $5.2 million earmarked for the Beechworth Correctional Centre to bolster the Melbourne Remand Centre following last year's prisoner riots.
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The Andrews Labor Government trumpeted a construction jobs boost as part of a $13.5 million funding package for upgrades at Beechworth, Dhurringile and Langi Kal Kal minimum security prisons.
The government also took a swipe at the Coalition for ignoring critical prison infrastructure upgrades during its one term in office.
But late last year the government confirmed a major security upgrade would take place at the metropolitan remand centre in response to mid-year riots.
Funding would be diverted from the three minimum security prisons with the justification being prisoner numbers had decreased in those jails.
Beechworth prison’s present population is 146 with a total capacity of 218.
The move has upset shadow police and corrections minister, Ed O'Donohue, and Indigo Shire.
"To me it is a straight diversion of needed infrastructure investment at a country prison to a problem in Melbourne as a result of prison riots which the government failed to stop and failed to prevent," he said.
"Prison numbers bounce around pretty quickly and the infrastructure was clearly identified as being required when the budget was handed down.
"Things haven't changed so much in that space of time."
The funding switch was announced on December 21.
Indigo Shire councillor Bernard Gaffney has also called for an explanation why tenders haven't been called for the project.
A Justice and Regulation Department spokesperson said the planned projects at Beechworth were related to supporting increased prisoner numbers.
"Given that prison numbers across the system have stabilised, and in minimum security prisons have reduced, the works at Beechworth have been deferred to support the upgrade and strengthening of the metropolitan remand centre," he said.
"We will reassess our infrastructure and upgrade needs across the system in the future to determine whether additional upgrades are required.
"It's important to have capacity available across the system, especially at minimum security prisons, which support prisoners coming to the end of their sentence to successfully transition back into the community."
