Hi there, I'm new to all of this, and finding it so hard to get information.
My dad is presently in Melboune Assessment Prison. I have to say, staff there are wonderful, helpful, kind, friendly...you get the picture..
He is being transfered to Loddon after this, and I've been trying to find info on the net to no avail aside the odd paragraph.
I was wondering if any one could refer me to any sites detailing the set up there, visitor information, information for the prisoners ie courses, jobs etc.
Dad likes o plan things, and does not like change, so id love to be able to provide as much preparation info as possible. Will also be helpful for the rest of family and myself.
He is able to select his top three preferences... so in this respect-it would certainly help to know something!!

thanks

Tam

Hi Tam,

First of all welcome to PTO!! :) Great to have you here. We have a few members that have loved ones at Loddon, so I am sure that when they get a bit of time and see this thread, they will post information for you of what they know. Hopefully this will help with your dad.

Hi Klubear,

I'm sorry this is happening to you. I can't even imagine what it would be like. I have a husband in jail but that's a bit different, isn't it? A husband is like a peer - someone you consider equal to you.

A dad is someone you're supposed to look up to. I don't know how old you are but I can't imagine any time in my life where this would have been anything less than hell for me to deal with, if my father was facing this kind of thing.

Congratulations for seeking help and information! Believe it or not, it's the first sign that you intend to survive this - no matter what crap is happening in your home and family life.

I have no information about Lodden, but I also have no doubt that you will gain a plethora of information in the coming days.

Hang in there - you're not alone. You WILL be ok.
Best of luck, mate.

xo JailByrde

I'm assuming you've seen the link Correctional Facilities In Victoria, Australia (http://prisontalk.com/forums/showthread.php?t=79652) ...

If not, this is the information posted for Lodden:

Loddon Prison Classification Medium (Male)
Capacity Approximately 350
Function Offers placement and support for HIV positive prisoners and intellectual disabled prisoners, also emphasis is placed on release preparation.
Public/Private Corrections Victoria (Public)
Address Matheson Road
Castlemaine VIC 3450

http://www.justice.vic.gov.au/wps/wc...+Loddon+Prison



Hope that helps!
PS: It's actually a GOOD thing that it's a public prison. Those run privately aren't as good.

Hi Tam

Loddon is a medium security prison. It is government run as opposed to privately run. I have found the staff there to be friendly and helpful.

For security reasons your dad probably won't be told exactly when he is being shifted. It's likely that he will be told either the night before or the morning that he is due to leave the MAP so don't be alarmed if you don't hear from him one day when you are expecting him to phone because his phone account will be cut off.

Once he is shifted his phone list will be transferred with him but it might take a day or two to get it up and running.

When he first arrives at Loddon, your dad will be in a 'two-out' cell. When they find room for him he'll be shifted to a 'one-out'. He'll be able to get work pretty soon but there isn't a lot when it comes to education or programs. However, I gather from your post, that he will be happy if he can find work. It will make his days pass more quickly if he is working.

Visiting times are 8.00 am until 3.00 pm with each visit lasting a maximum of four hours on Saturday and Sunday and 9.00 am until 3.00 pm on Mondays with a maximum of five hours. However, he can only have visits on two of the three days.

Visitors enter the prison through the main reception area where you will be processed. You can leave property when you arrive and then proceed to be processed. Processing is less rigorous at Loddon than it is at MAP. You must produce ID, such as a drivers licence, and you will be asked who you are visiting. You will then be allocated a locker and a visitor's pass. All of your personal property must be left in the locker. You can take money in but it must be in a clear plastic bag. Bags are provided at reception. You will need money to buy your lunch and his if you are there at lunch time.

The staff at reception ring through to your father's unit and advise the staff there that he has a visit and he will make his way to the visit centre. If you have any questions ask the staff. Tell them it's your first visit and they will direct you to the visit centre.

Prior to leaving the reception area you will be scanned by an officer. You can then proceed through to the visits centre. When you arrive at the visit centre you report to the officers and tell them who you are visiting. You must wait in the visit centre foyer until your father comes into the visit centre. You can then join him,

If you have young children and need to prepare bottles etc there is a small fridge and a microwave you can use. There is also a play area for young children and the staff have some games and pencils etc for young children to colour in.

I can give you information on what property you can take in but it might be best to let you digest what I've written so far. If you have questions please post them and I'll be happy to answer them.

I know this is all pretty scary for you but it does get easier in time. Now that you have found this forum you are not alone. We are all doing this together and are here to help you.

Wys

Thankyou all so much!:grouphug: Such a warm response, I can see this forum will be a benefit in many ways.
I've printed the info provided to take in to dad today.

As far as my coping...well...I guess I'm a swimmer when it comes to sinking or swimming. No point in standing still too long letting it process. I think this could be deremental.
Dad and I are extremely close, I admire him(inspite of recent mistakes) can talk to him about anything, and feel that basically while everyone is doing donuts around us for what ever reason, we are always on a level. For this reason, keeping a level head I think is important because he can rely on me for what ever he needs.
The last few weeks have been a head spin,not only visiting dad whenever there are no visitors ( I live closest to him) but my boyfriends ex has stolen his kids, placed an intervention order agaisnt him through false accusation..nuts!!! So I'm also providing all the support i am able to him. But yesterday, a full page of the Herald Sun was taken out with the story of what took place. I was furious, considering most of the info in regards to my Dad's involvment to be false. I rang the Hearald Sun whilst at work and went bananas!!!!!:fb:
I was asked for an interview, the reporter was quite pressing. But advised him I would only say more after clearing it with my step mother.
It had to come sooner or later, and I had had my doubts.... by it seems that there has been a fair bit of cover up where me and my brother and sister are concerned....
I felt like a bit of a git...went a bit nuts at step mum,
but when all said and done,. he's my dad..wouldn't really matter if he had been a crimianl his entire life. I'd love him no less!
HE's been transferred to POrt Phillip...temporarily, we've been told..
I'll see him this afternoon and I am certain he will appreciate the info provided

thanks again all of you!!! Big hugz!

Tam

Just thought I should mention that there's no guarantee he will get his first choice when it comes to being transferred. All the prisons are pretty crowded right now so he might get sent somewhere else first and be transferred to Loddon later on. That's what happened in our case.

Hmmm. yes....as I've found also !!!
He was told that he would be going to Loddon directly....then told maybe Port Phillip for a little while.
Just when i thought the hard part was over.. he was transfered to Port Phillip yesterday morning, which is 10 minutes from my house, and I work in laverton so even closer to go straight after work every day.... was looking forward to seeing him today..
but now im told only 1 visit per week!!!
TAlk bout backwards!!!!! I understand that prison is punishment for a crime... but this one mistake, has cost dad over 100 thousand, 3 years of stress leading up to it, his business, almost his life -he has a bad heart...and considered suicide (that is the most devastating of all) and now we are punished to.
It seems wrong to go from MAP where you are allowed a visitor a day, then go backwards when you move on!!
one hell of a week!!!!

A visitor per day at MAP?

Seems to me I was only allowed to go once a week! If things have changed, that's a good thing. Or I could be having a brain fart. :o

Hmmm. I'm not sure really!!! Dad was in there 3 years ago, when this entire thing started... and then he was able to have 1 visit each day.
Maximum of of 6 Half hour box visits per week, and 1 hour contact visit per week.
I just see it as less visitors, more boredom, frustration and agitation leading to possible outburst..
I know in Dad's case, visitors have a calming affect. To him its motivation to hold his head up and do his time with dignity..well as much as that can be... because he's reminded of how much he is loved.
I feel kind of hopeless now, where before, i felt i was doing him good by visiting at e very opportunity.:(

klubear I haven't had to endure the nightmare that is Pt Phillip but as I understand it you get a one hour visit on the weekend and that's it. Hopefully he won't be there for long before he's transferred.

Hi Klubear, Welcome to PTO.

Firstly all prisons are taken to Port Phillip for transfer to another prison. All transfer visits for your dad will be around 1 week.
Yeah the visits at PPP are high security so you are not able to interact much!

You will love the visits at Loddon - they have a great visit centre.

Sounds like your Dad will go to loddon - any questions about Loddon please feel free to ask as Hubby has been there for a couple of years now.

When my hubby was at PPP (he got extradited from there in Jan this year) we were allowed 2 X 1 hour visits per week. They had visits every day, so you could choose which days suited you for your 2 visits.After a certain amount of time,( I think it might be 12 weeks) with good behavior they move up to the next level, which means you get 2X 1 and a half hour visits per week, Mon-Fri, but still only 1 hour if you visit on the weekend. I used to go twice during the week to get the most time. :)
This is of course if things havent changed, in the last few months.
I know exactly how you feel about getting less time. I had to go from visiting every single visit he was allowed to have, to once whenever I can afford to fly up to see him :( twice in 3 months...
I hope your dad does get moved to Loddon as soon as he can. PPP really is the pits.

ROZ

Firstly all prisoners are taken to Port Phillip for transfer to another prison.

With all due respect to your knowledge, Em, and for the sake of reference - that wasn't the case for Hubby. He was transported directly from the MAP to Beechworth.

Thank God! PPP is no place to be, even if it's 'in transit'. :shake:

DH was also transferred direct from the MAP to Fulham. I am so glad he didn't have to go to Pt Phillip. He's only ever spent one night there when he was transferred from Fulham to Loddon. I had to laugh because they wouldn't transport them direct from Fulham to Loddon because they said a four hour drive was too long for them to be in the van but they transported them from Pt Phillip to Loddon via Dhurringile which was a five hour trip. Go figure...

sorry JB, should have stated for Loddon prison not all prisons, all prisoners are transported via PPP. I have been told the transport happens on a Tues and Thurs.

HI klubear here is a post about loddon that has alot of information which i thought would be helpful.
click (http://www.prisontalk.com/forums/showthread.php?t=167431&highlight=loddon) here for thread

please note that a bus service is being brought in for people catching the train to loddon. Also no Friday visits are allowed now due to prisoners not sharing cells.

For those at loddon who need assistance paying the phone bill. I was told if your partner at Loddon speaks to the Salvation Army and you have a Telstra bill the Salvo's at Loddon will pay your bill.
Every Little bit helps.

hi
my brother was moved to Loddon....
i'm so worried about him and visits are only on sat, sun and monday....
what can i bring him?will he be in a room by himself??
please give me some idea... =(

hi
my brother was moved to Loddon....
i'm so worried about him and visits are only on sat, sun and monday....
what can i bring him?will he be in a room by himself??
please give me some idea... =(



Hey,
My bro is also in custody at present at mrc.:(
Try looking up website justice.vic.gov.au
they have helpful info on all victorian prisons on there
Goodluck:thumbsup: and stay strong