Victoria's largest maximum security prison and another jail are set to close with job losses expected

Haha, fear mongering instead of celebrating the drop in crime. What a world.

This is the best summary I could come up with:

The Community and Public Sector Union (CPSU) is negotiating with the state government about how best to redeploy the staff.

CPSU industrial organiser Donna Shell said the closure was being brought about far too quickly, and had not allowed staff adequate time to prepare.

"It's heartbreaking really, for staff that turn up to work today to be told that within two months, they're not gonna have a job," Ms Shell said.

The government has spruiked Western Plains, near Lara, as a state-of-the-art facility with 1,248 beds with "a number of administration, accommodation, health and prison industry buildings and will offer programs designed to reduce the risk of prisoners reoffending, maximise their chances of successful reintegration back into the community and keep staff safe".

During the pandemic, Victoria's prisoner population dropped and the number of inmates has not returned to pre-pandemic levels.

Shadow Minister for Corrections Brad Battin said the government could be leaving the system vulnerable should crime levels return to previous highs.

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