Rachel called on the Minister for Corrections to consider emergency management days for all cases at Dame Phyllis Frost Centre. Emergency management days are a limited number of days that can be taken off a prisoner’s sentence if they suffer a disruption or deprivation beyond the usual disruptions and deprivations of imprisonment. Rachel requested this due to reports of recurring lockdowns at the Centre from conditions including lack of staffing.
Wednesday the 3rd of December 2025,
Victorian Legislative Council
Rachel Payne (South-Eastern Metropolitan):
My adjournment matter is for the Minister for Corrections, and the action I seek is for emergency management days to be automatically considered in all cases. We recently both had the pleasure of attending She’ll Be Apples, a performance by the women in Dame Phyllis Frost Centre run by Somebody’s Daughter theatre company. The performance was a powerful exploration of trauma, abuse and isolation. It also touched on how lockdowns triggered by staff shortages at the centre isolated women and impacted their wellbeing. At one stage it was unclear whether this performance would be able to go ahead because of the lockdowns, but thankfully it eventually did, albeit slightly delayed.
While these lockdowns thankfully appear to have eased, they highlighted several issues with the way these kinds of staffing shortages are handled. When these lockdowns were at their peak community legal services and support service providers raised significant concerns around access and restrictions on appointments, given the gates were only being unlocked for an hour to allow restricted movement. We were also concerned by reports that the Department of Justice and Community Safety was obstructing the women’s ability to know and enforce their rights by withholding mail, policing service providers, monitoring documents they bring in and telling service providers they cannot provide emergency management day application forms.
Emergency management days are a limited number of days that can be taken off a prisoner’s sentence if they suffer a disruption or deprivation beyond the usual disruptions and deprivations of imprisonment. This measure recognises the additional burden placed upon prisoners in these circumstances. It is also disturbing that service providers would be told that they could not provide emergency management day application forms. It also reflects a fundamental problem within the existing application process – that is, the burden for applying for emergency management days is often put onto the prisoners rather than being automatically considered. This leads to unequal outcomes and challenges when applying, particularly where access to legal assistance is limited, as was the case during the lockdowns at the Dame Phyllis Frost Centre.
Changing the process for emergency management days from an application process to automatic consideration will not reduce safeguards, including eligibility being restricted to people who were on good behaviour at the time. There is also precedent for these changes. During the pandemic Corrections Victoria implemented an automatic consideration process for emergency management days.
So, I ask: will the minister allow emergency management days to be automatically considered in all cases?
Response received, 2nd of March 2026:
Lockdowns at any correctional facility are only implemented when necessary to maintain the safety and security of both staff and prisoners. Any period where a unit is secured for more than 15 minutes is recorded as a lockdown. Lockdowns may occur due to operational requirements, adverse weather, security incidents or staffing requirements.
DPFC implemented a temporary modified regime on 2 June 2025. This has provided more structure and predictability for women, staff and service providers by designating a limited number of precincts for reduced movement on any given day, depending on staffing levels. From June 2025, women have continued to receive an average of
8 hours out-of-cell time per day under this modified regime.
Access to medication, healthcare and legal visits remain a priority during all lockdowns and Corrections Victoria continues to work closely with health providers and legal representatives to ensure essential services are delivered smoothly.
Corrections Victoria has recruited more staff for DPFC with new Corrections Officer having completed training and commenced operational duties at DPFC.
Eligibility for Emergency Management Days (EMDs) is determined under legislative and policy frameworks. EMDs are assessed on a case-by-case basis. People in custody may continue to submit applications where appropriate.
