VPRS 19301 Historic Record Collection, Corrections Victoria Resource Centre

Full description

This series comprises various records relating to prisons that were collected by the Corrections Victoria Resource Centre until its closure in 2022. The collection was held by the Corrections Staff Training College, Watsonia (Loyola College), until that institution closed in 1992. The Office of Corrections established the Resource Centre around 1995. The records were received by the Corrections Staff Training College or the Office of Corrections from the 1980s onwards.

The collection includes photographs, publications, newspaper articles, correspondence, reports and other ephemera. It also includes publications by former prisoners and prison staff.

This is an artificial series. The records collected were removed from their original recordkeeping systems and, in many cases, their provenance and original context were lost. Records have been identified as originating from the Public Service Board (VA 888), Office of Corrections (VA 1063), Penal and Gaols Branch of the Chief Secretary’s Department (VA 1464), and the Victorian Prison Industries Commission (VA 5734).

Records were also created by, or are about, the following prisons:

• Ballarat Gaol (VA 633)
• Cooriemungle Prison Camp (VA 972)
• Female Prison, Pentridge (VA 4141)
• Hopkins Correctional Centre, Ararat (VA 5758)
• HM Melbourne Assessment Prison (VA 4858)
• HM Prison Barwon (VA 5753)
• HM Prison Beechworth (VA 939)
• HM Prison Bendigo (VA 940)
• HM Prison Castlemaine (VA 1008)
• HM Prison Dhurringile (VA 4836)
• HM Prison Fairlea (VA 926)
• HM Prison Geelong (VA 1003)
• HM Prison Loddon (VA 5754)
• HM Prison Morwell River (VA 4105)
• HM Prison Pentridge (VA 863)
• HM Prison Sale (VA 982)
• HM Prison Won Wron (VA 4834)
• Kilmore Gaol (VA 5863)
• McLeod Training Centre (VA 2682)
• Melbourne Gaol (VA 4147)
• Metropolitan Gaol (VA 5757)
• Metropolitan Reception Prison (VA 4107)
• Portland Gaol (VA 4139)

The majority of the prison-created records come from Pentridge and Fairlea.

During processing, PROV grouped the collection into the following consignments to improve discoverability and support research.

Newspaper Clippings (Consignment 1)
Consignment 1 comprises newspaper clippings about prisons, including prisoners, incidents, program, and operations. The articles cover a wide range of stories relating to the daily lives of prisoners and staff, court proceedings, convictions, and escapes.

Reports (Consignment 2)
Consignment 2 comprises reports on prison operations and management, including annual reports, operational reviews, and reports on investigations into the causes of incidents. It includes a collection of Annual Reports and Statistical Returns from 1854 to 1956, various reports prepared by the Public Service Board and Office of Corrections, commissioned reports from independent contractors, and reports on the implementation of recommendations. Copies of reports from various Boards of Inquiry and parliamentary inquiries are also included, as well as academic essays and conference papers. Further reports on the Office of Corrections prepared by the Public Service Board can be found in VPRS 2984.

Inquiries include:

• Board of Inquiry into the Escape of Five Prisoners from H.M. Gaol, Pentridge on Saturday 27 August 1955 (VA 5131)
• Board of Inquiry into Allegations of Brutality and Ill Treatment at H.M. Prison Pentridge (VA 4389)
• Board of Inquiry into Allegations Against Members of the Police Force (VA 4391)
• Board of Inquiry to Enquire into Certain Matters Relating to the Office of Corrections (VA 4397)
• Select Committee Inquiry on the Victorian Prison Service (VA 4906)

The version of the report of the Board of Inquiry into Allegations Against Members of the Police Force, commonly known as The Beach Report, included in this consignment appears to be a version printed by a newspaper after copies of the final report were leaked to the press in November 1976. The specific provenance of this copy is unknown. The official final report was not released to the public until May 1978.

Newsletters, Publications, and Literary Works (Consignment 3)
Consignment 3 comprises newsletters, literary works, and artistic material created by and for prisoners and prison staff. It includes books, manuscripts, comics, poetry, newsletters, journals, magazines, scripts, flyers, and theatre production programs. These publications served various functions, including creative outlets for prisoners, educational tools for prisoners and staff, reflections on the prison system and prisoner experiences, and official communications.

Photographs and Slides (Consignment 4)
Consignment 4 comprises photographic prints and slides documenting prison operations. These photographs largely came from Pentridge and Fairlea prisons. They depict prison grounds, cells, bathrooms, kitchens, hospitals, and recreation areas, as well as construction works undertaken at these prisons. There are also photographs of contraband and escape equipment.

Prison Governance (Consignment 5)
Consignment 5 comprises records relating to prison governance, including Standing Orders, rules, routines and duties, and codes of conduct, as well as copies of Acts, regulations, and other legislative instruments published in the Victoria Government Gazette. The consignment also includes circulars provided to Prison Governors. Copies of official information booklets provided to prisoners can also be found in this consignment; these outline prisoner rules and routines, and available programs.

Objects (Consignment 6)
Consignment 6 includes two items of interest: a small model gun carved from soap, and the Pentridge Prison Closing Ceremony flag. The origins of the soap gun are unknown.​​​​​​​

Prison Operations and Planning (Consignment 7)
Consignment 7 comprises the remaining documents collected from the library. These records largely relate to daily prison operations and include Chief Prison Officer diaries, redevelopment and decommissioning plans, project plans, correspondence, committee reports, minutes and agendas, musters, commissioned histories, and site plans.​​​​​​​

Closed Records (Consignments 8 and 9)
Consignments 8 and 9 contain records closed under section 9 of the Public Records Act 1975 for privacy reasons, and records relating to prison operations that are closed under section 10AA of the Public Records Act 1975 for security reasons. The majority of these records are photographs of prisoners and their families taken to document prison operations and programs. Also included are a small number of internal investigations and reports.