Cr Bernard Gaffney told Tuesday’s special Indigo Shire meeting that the community needed answers.

He said the Beechworth facility set the standard for the 21st century. 

“No walls, limited locks, a minimum security jail – a place for traffic offenders and non-violent offenders, a place for offenders about to be released and being readied to rejoin society,” Cr Gaffney said.

​“Having spoken to people at that facility, they say that people who should be at a minimum security prison are now being placed in the medium security prisons and even maximum security prisons.”

The Border Mail this week revealed the Victorian Government had diverted $5.2 million earmarked for upgrades at the prison to Melbourne’s Metropolitan Remand Centre.

Meanwhile the number of Beechworth inmates was at 146, well below the capacity of 218.

Councillors delayed their call for answers to wait for Benambra MP Bill Tilley to speak to acting Corrections Minister Robin Scott.

Mayor James Trenery met with Mr Tilley and the opposition’s corrections spokesman Edward O’Donohue at the prison last Wednesday.

He said he did not want council letters to continue being ignored by the government and expected Mr Tilley to have a response by the end of February.

Cr Gaffney said the government always told council the prison was important.

“That jail has been underutilised for months,” he said.

“It doesn’t seem so important anymore.”