DJCS’s KPIs do not allow it to monitor overall service delivery at the Bridge Centre. This is because DJCS’s reintegration monitoring only measures a small number of participants and only for 2-month post-release performance targets. 

The limited available data shows that the Bridge Centre’s results often fall short of performance targets. However, prisoners released from Ravenhall do access the Bridge Centre's reintegration services, particularly to find housing. 

GEO designs and offers rehabilitation programs relevant to Ravenhall prisoners' needs, such as addressing AOD and offending behaviour issues. 

More than 85 per cent of enrolled prisoners go on to complete their programs in line with DJCS's contractual target. This means that program dropout rates are low. However, long waitlists to start programs and limited vocational training options suggest that Ravenhall is not fully meeting prisoners’ needs or maximising rehabilitation opportunities.

Ravenhall does not perform any better than other Victorian adult male prisons on reducing reoffending, except for some encouraging results for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander prisoners. 

Due to its forensic mental health facilities, Ravenhall receives prisoners with high psychiatric needs, which may increase the challenge of meeting its targets for reducing reoffending.

Covered in this section:

We made 3 recommendations to address our findings. The relevant agencies have accepted the recommendations in principle.

What we examined

Our audit followed 2 lines of inquiry: 

1. Is Ravenhall delivering its rehabilitation and reintegration programs as required?

2. Is Ravenhall's rehabilitation and reintegration model contributing to reducing reoffending?

To answer these questions, we examined:

Download a PDF copy of Appendix F: Targets missed by a significant margin every year.

Download a PDF copy of Appendix E: Targets met every year.

Download a PDF copy of Appendix D: Outputs we looked at over time.

Download a PDF copy of Appendix C: Review scope and method.

Download a PDF copy of Appendix B: Acronyms and glossary.