May 28th, 2025Budget ups funding for justice system

The Victorian Budget 2025/26 adds more than $2 billion in additional funding for the criminal justice system, courts and emergency services.

This is backing the work of frontline police and emergency services and increasing capacity in the state’s prisons and youth justice centres, the state government said in a media statement.

The state government introduced Australia’s toughest bail laws to put a stop to serious offending while out on bail – and now, more repeat alleged offenders are remanded, not getting bail, according to the media statement.

This Budget will direct $727 million to ramp up the capacity in the state’s prisons and youth justice centres – bringing more prison beds online to deal with the increasing number of alleged offenders being denied bail. 

The Budget expands the capacity of the youth justice and adult corrections systems and supports the opening of the new Western Plains Correctional Centre, which ramps up operations mid-year. 

In total, almost 1,000 additional adult prison beds will open across the system, and a further 88 beds will open at youth justice facilities at Cherry Creek and Parkville. 

The Budget will also recruit a further 320 new roles in youth justice and 400 new roles in adult corrections. 

The Budget includes more than $46 million to establish a tobacco licensing scheme to break the business model of organised crime, delivering boots on the ground to crack down on those breaking the law. 

The new regulator will deter the sale of illicit tobacco, prevent unfit individuals from entering the industry, and strengthen intelligence gathering to support Victoria Police and other law enforcement in shutting down illegal operations.

This story based on a state government media release