Located near Sale in eastern Victoria, Fulham Correctional Centre is a 782 bed medium to minimum security facility occupying 50 acres of open space with the look of a campus. Inmates are contained by highly efficient custodial technology allowing for more open space and flexibility than most prisons.

Management of the prisoner’s environment is a major consideration at the centre. While security is not compromised, the “campus-style” design of Fulham permits maximum flexibility in an environment that rewards positive behaviour and actively encourages offenders to accept responsibility for their actions.

Fulham’s “campus style” is partly the result of the varied programs available for inmates and the classification of prisoners.

Fulham Correctional Centre also operates a young offenders' program that combines cognitive behaviour therapy and adventure challenge education.

Medical and health services

Fulham provides a health services centre that delivers a full range of medical and allied health services. The medical centre is an ACHS accredited facility.

Fulham Correctional Centre operates a methadone program. This program has recently expanded to facilitate more prisoners and the centre is now authorised to induct into the program. A new methadone hut has been completed along with a new iris scanning system installed for dosing patients.

Training

Fulham Correctional Centre has adopted and successfully implemented a corrections education partnership with the East Gippsland Institute of TAFE. The partnership allows accredited Vocational Education and Training programs to be delivered by qualified and industry experienced teaching staff while providing opportunities for prisoners to work in a production industry utilising those vocational skills.

To enhance prisoner rehabilitation, the prison offers a full range of programs including recreational (sports, arts and crafts, etc.), education (delivered through TAFE), and others addressing prisoners’ offending behaviour and offence-related needs (psychological services, drug and alcohol programs, etc.).

Prison industries

Fulham Correctional Centre operates a variety of industry programs that provide prisoners with employment and training opportunities. Wherever possible the industries are operated to reflect commercial businesses in the community, thereby providing meaningful work skills and experience that may assist the prisoner in seeking employment when released.

Vocational training is integrated with the industry operation to further enhance post release employment opportunity.

Working with existing commercial manufacturers, Fulham Correctional Centre manufactures a range timber products such as planter tubs, bird feeders, compost bins and fence extenders.

Prisoners are also involved in the manufacture of furniture components with the support of the Furniture Industry Association, which can offer post release employment opportunities.

There is also a metalwork program where prisoners make wood-fired pizza ovens, pot-belly stoves and mini spit-roasters, and a nursery that concentrates on bulk orders of plants from commercial customers.

Fulham Correctional Centre prisoners are also involved in the manufacture of sporting equipment, which embraces the import-replacement objectives for prison industries.

Community

Fulham Correctional Centre returns approximately $15 million annually to the local economy, through wages paid to staff and a corporate philosophy to use local businesses to support the centre's operations.

The government allocated $8.9 million to build the Nalu Challenge Community. About 85 per cent of the contractors employed were from the local community and the majority of building material locally supplied.

Each year, Fulham Correctional Centre provides community grants and scholarships to the value of $20,000. This includes donations to Prisoners on the Run and the CGHS needle exchange program.

Community work crews have contributed in excess of 60,000 hours to community work.

The Nalu Challenge Community work crew has been recognised by the Victorian Government for its community service work on the Gippsland Rail Trail.

The program won a Community Partnership Award and was named the most outstanding new project for its commitment to upgrade and maintain the Gippsland Plains Rail Trail, which runs along the railway line from Stratford to Maffra.

Accreditations

Fulham Correctional Centre is the only prison in Victoria with an AS/NZS ISO 9001:2000 Certification and AS 4801:2000, Occupational Health and Safety Management System.

Fulham also has health and safety certification through the NSCA Five Star Health & Safety Management System.

Fulham’s medical centre is also accredited by The Australian Council on Healthcare Standards.

Other programs

Fulham has continues to take a leadership role in providing significant programs for inmates. These include the Muramali Program which helps Aboriginal prisoners affected by the forced removal of family members. Fulham is the first facility to present this program within Australia.

Fulham also operates a comprehensive Injury Management and Rehabilitation Program that has resulted in early intervention and early return to work programs.