Getting hopeful of progress

Good afternoon Katherine, 

On behalf of Kim, thank you for your email and raising your support for recommissioning HM Prison Dhurringile as a working prison farm. 

Kim would also like to see a positive outcome for the site and its future. 

As HM Prison Dhurringile is situated within the Euroa Electorate, would it be alright for our office to share your correspondence and advocacy with Kim’s colleague, Annabelle Cleeland and her office, as the Member for Euroa? 

​​​​​Kind Regards, 
Jack Norris | Electorate Officer
Office of Kim O'Keeffe MP | State Member for Shepparton
318 Wyndham Street, Shepparton VIC 3630
Mobile: 0448 557 515 | Email: jack.norris@parliament.vic.gov.au
kimokeeffe.com.au

 
________________________________
From: katherine cooper < katherine0711@hotmail.com >
Sent: 25 June 2026 16:02
To: Kim.OKeeffe@parliament.vic.gov.au
Subject: Support for Recommissioning HM Prison Dhurringile
 Dear Ms O'Keeffe,
I am writing to ask for your support in advocating for the recommissioning of HM Prison Dhurringile as a working prison farm.
I am a mother of four from Deniliquin, NSW, with a strong interest in rehabilitation and prison reform focused on practical, work-based programs. I believe Dhurringile represented one of Victoria's most effective rehabilitation models, providing prisoners with meaningful work, responsibility, and practical skills that helped prepare them for life after release.
For nearly 60 years, Dhurringile operated as a successful minimum-security prison farm where prisoners gained experience in agriculture, horticulture, maintenance, and other vocational activities. It provided a structured environment that promoted accountability, rehabilitation, and personal growth while also supporting local employment and the regional economy.
Victoria now has only one operational prison farm remaining—HM Prison Langi Kal Kal. The closure of Dhurringile has significantly reduced opportunities for rehabilitation through meaningful agricultural work and skills training, despite growing evidence that work-based programs help reduce reoffending and improve reintegration outcomes.
Many community members believed the Dhurringile site was simply too valuable to be left unused. The facility already contains accommodation, workshops, farming infrastructure, and extensive grounds that were purpose-built to support rehabilitation through productive work. Rather than sitting vacant or being sold, I believe it should be recommissioned to serve the community once again.
With increasing pressure on Victoria's correctional system, reopening an existing facility with a proven track record would seem a practical and cost-effective solution. Dhurringile has a long history of operating safely and successfully while providing opportunities for prisoners to develop skills, work ethic, and responsibility.
Because I feel strongly about this issue, I have started a public petition calling for the reopening of HM Prison Dhurringile and to stop the sale of the site.
The petition can be viewed here:
https://www.change.org/p/stop-the-sale-and-reopen-dhurringile-prison-for-rehabilitation-farming-skills-training
I would be grateful for your support in raising this issue within Parliament and advocating for the preservation of a correctional model that benefits prisoners, regional communities, and public safety alike.
Thank you for your time and consideration. I look forward to hearing your views on the future of Dhurringile.
Kind regards,
Catherine Cooper
Deniliquin NSW 2710
0473 038 899