Fury Erupts Over Proposal to Fill Victoria’s Empty Jails with Interstate Criminals Amid Soaring Crime Rates
- Victorians outraged over plan to lease out vacant prison beds to interstate inmates despite state’s own crime wave
- IPA research reveals Victoria’s jails are operating at 70% capacity, while Queensland and South Australia are at maximum capacity
- Critics slam proposal, saying it’s a ‘money-making scheme’ that prioritises profits over public safety
Victorians are seething over a proposal to lease out empty prison beds to interstate inmates, as the state struggles to contain its own surging crime rates. The Institute of Public Affairs (IPA) has suggested that the Victorian government could generate an estimated $290 million annually by renting out vacant prison cells to other jurisdictions, such as Queensland and South Australia.
However, the plan has been met with fierce criticism, with many questioning why the state is not focusing on addressing its own crime problem instead of importing more criminals. “I don’t know about you, but I’d rather the criminals – the hardened criminals breaking the law, getting out on bail time and time again – to be imprisoned, not out on bail,” said Adam Scholte in a viral TikTok video.
Scholte’s sentiment was echoed by social media users, who slammed the proposal as a “money-making scheme” that prioritises profits over public safety. “That’s what happens when you got this Victoria government, which is a pathetic and corrupt government,” one commenter wrote. “They sent this state bankrupt and they’re doing anything they can to get money back in.”
According to IPA research fellow Mia Schlicht, Victoria’s prisons are currently operating at around 70% capacity, with an average of 2,648 empty prison places each day. Schlicht suggested that SA and Queensland could send their extra prisoners to Victoria, where the average cost to house a prisoner is almost $600 per day.
However, critics argue that the proposal is a misguided attempt to address the state’s budget woes, rather than tackling the root causes of its crime problem. “This is what it comes down to. Let’s keep it empty, keep the prisoners on the outside, and we’ll bring prisoners from another state to put in the jails. Please, wake up,” Scholte exclaimed.
As the debate rages on, one thing is clear: Victorians are fed up with the state’s failure to address its crime problem, and are demanding a more effective solution than importing more criminals.