Victoria told to increase prisoner pay

The work offered to people in prison in Victoria is often “menial and repetitive”, with rates of pay less than 4 percent of the minimum wage. A new expert report has called for this to change.

An expert review commissioned by the Victorian government has called for people in prison to be paid a fairer wage, with the current rate equating to about 5 percent of the minimum wage.

The Cultural Review of the Adult Custodial Corrections System report was handed to the state government at the start of December last year, but only released publicly late on Friday afternoon.

The review found that rates of pay for people in prison are “well below rates of pay in the community”, and that wages should be increased to be more fair. 

But in its response to the report, the Victorian government entirely ignored this recommendation.

There are 1400 people in custody in Victoria working across 65 prison industries, with all people in prison expected to work unless they are too old or medically unable to do so. This work, which involves the state government entering into contracts with private sector companies, has generated $27 million in the last year.

The cultural review found that the work on offer is often inadequate to assist inmates in rehabilitation and skills for returning to the community.

“Some people in custody that we spoke to noted that current opportunities may not translate to employment opportunities in the community to which they hope to return,” the report said.

Less than half of the respondents to a recent Corrections Victoria survey of people in prison said that the work opportunities offered to them would help them get a job upon being released.

The rate of pay for this work was a key concern among prisoners and in the cultural review.

There are three levels of pay for prison labour in Victoria, ranging from $6.50 to $8.95 per day. 

“These rates of pay are well below rates of pay in the community,” the report said.

The review, conducted by three esteemed experts, called on the Victorian government to significantly increase these wages.

“While there are significant benefits to supporting people in custody with access to ‘real world’ employment in an industry context, the conditions and pay should approximate community standards as a matter of fairness to comply with international law and to support people to meet their needs while they are in custody and when they transition back into the general community,” the report said.

Earning an adequate wage in prison would assist in reducing recidivism.

“I’m deprived of my liberty, but if I can earn a normal wage it means when I leave prison, I’m just moving house to a degree,” one person in prison told the cultural review.

“I see a lot of women that leave prison with a few days of a hotel stay up their sleeve, and then that’s it,” another person said. “Well, of course they’re going to come back to prison. It’s the only place they can get a shower.”

The report also found issues with the types of work offered to older people in prison.

“As an older inmate, I find there are no real work opportunities suitable for my age group,” a person interviewed for the report said.