Dame Phyllis Frost Centre (DPFC) is a women’s prison based in the western suburbs of Melbourne.
The facility accommodates women of all security ratings, as well as remand prisoners.
Video transcript - Become a prison officer at Dame Phyllis Frost Centre
Video: Aerial shot of Dame Phyllis Frost Centre.
Tracy, General Manager, Dame Phyllis Frost Centre:
“We’ve had staff come from all different backgrounds here at the Dame Phyllis Frost Centre.”
Valeria, Corrections Intelligence:
“I just worked in an actual HR (human resources) administrative role.”
Stacey, Assessment and Transition Coordinator
“I worked in customer service.”
Ginny, Offender Management Officer:
“I worked in hospitality.”
Kirsty, Prison Officer”
“I was in aged care.”
Tracy, General Manager, Dame Phyllis Frost Centre:
“We’ve had stay at home mums who have been at home with the kids for the last five to ten years. They’ve got great skills to come along and be good prison officers.”
Video: Dame Phyllis Frost Centre sign, Australian and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Flags on flagpoles, an officer unlocking a cell door.
“Dame Phyllis Frost Centre is a front-end maximum security prison for women. Its only one of two female prisons in the state of Victoria. We currently house 538 women.”
Video: External and internal views of prisoner accommodation
Ginny, Offender Management Officer:
“The focus is to help prisoners, to reintegrate them back into the society.”
Stacey, Assessment and Transition Coordinator
“It’s about assessing the risks for women when they’re returning back into the community and then putting into place resources to address those risks to try and reduce recidivism.”
Video: Prison officer sitting at table undertaking case management discussions with prisoner.
Tracy, General Manager, Dame Phyllis Frost Centre
“A lot of the females that come to Dame Phyllis Frost Centre have quite often suffered from family violence issues. We’re seeing a lot if mental health and drug and alcohol issues. Women quite often have lost custody of their children.”
Stacey, Assessment and Transition Coordinator
“I just continue to be very supportive and be a person that these women can feel comfortable about coming to.”
Megan, Project Director
“Trauma-informed practice is an approach about recognising the impacts of trauma on how people behave and the choices they make. We need to understand the impacts and their experience of trauma.”
Video: Prison officer talking with prisoner out on prison grounds.
Valeria, Corrections Intelligence
“We’re not here to judge them. We respect them and we receive that same respect back.”
Kirsty, Prison Officer:
“Daily tasks here are actually the count of the prisoners, safety and security, extensive case management of the women. Being a supportive role model for them.”
Stacey, Assessment and Transition Coordinator:
“I feel very safe in my role and working with the women. I’ve built a very good rapport with them over the time that I’ve worked here.”
Kirsty, Prison Officer:
“There’s extensive physical training and also skills training to equip you to do this job.”
Megan, Project Director:
“People don’t need any formal qualifications in order to work in a trauma-informed manner prison officers will be provided with training throughout their life on the job.”
Tracy, General Manager, Dame Phyllis Frost Centre
“So, the training is 41 days mainly in the classroom but you also get an opportunity to work out in the prison for two weeks of placement.”
Video: Two prison officers walking down stairs, having a discussion.
Kirsty, Prison Officer:
“You need to lean on those people that have been through the same experiences as yourself. You’ll always remain a fairly tight-knit core.”
Ginny, Offender Management Officer
“We’ve got a very supportive leadership team at the MFA sports centre here. We’ve got a lot of women in very senior management positions.”
Stacey, Assessment and Transition Coordinator:
“With the right amount of work and commitment, women go places. One of the things that actually encouraged me to apply for this role in the first place, I was looking for something that offered a little bit of flexibility to both a mother and a working woman.”
Valeria, Corrections Intelligence:
“Our rosters are issues six weeks in advanced, then of course, you can manage and plan your family life around that. I get to take the kids to school so the shift work, personally, it works beautifully.”
Stacey, Assessment and Transition Coordinator:
“There’s so many different directions that your career can take working for the department.”
Ginny, Offender Management Officer:
“We can also go into the Parole Board, in the Community Corrections Services.”
Stacey, Assessment and Transition Coordinator
“It’s just a really rewarding, team-orientated, very supportive environment.”
Valeria, Corrections Intelligence:
“I expect to be here until I retire. I really enjoy my job.”
Tracy, General Manager, Dame Phyllis Frost Centre:
“It’s critical that we get the right staff out here. Good communication skills, professionalism, integrity, problem solving and emotional intelligence. If you’ve got those skills, then come to DPFC (Dame Phyllis Frost Centre). It’s the place to be.”
Authorised by the Department of Justice and Community Safety.