A Slattery justice project for Corrections Victoria, an extraordinary new offender treatment centre has now opened in Ararat, the first facility of its kind in Australia.
Associate Maja Meh who led the successful cost management of this $52M construction project was on hand for the official opening by the Victorian Corrections Minister Gayle Tierney on Tuesday 16th October.
The project provides a secure, therapeutic environment for offenders classified under a post-sentence scheme; serious offenders who continue to pose a risk to society but have served their sentences and require ongoing supervision or detention.
Rivergum has a strong focus on rehabilitation, with residents supported in continuing to address individual issues through the delivery of intensive treatment and interventions, provided by a multi-disciplinary team made up of clinicians, case workers, case managers, activities coordinators and more. Staff will play an important role in enhancing the motivation of residents, aiming to build collaborative relationships that reinforce acknowledgement of actions and rehabilitation.
Residents will take part in behaviour change programs to reduce their risk of reoffending, and will receive mental health and drug and alcohol services to treat issues that often go together with criminal activity. The facility has CCTV in common areas, automatically locking doors and residents are also subject to electronic monitoring to ensure safety of staff and residents alike.
The project was built by Kane, providing over 100 construction jobs with a further 50 ongoing positions in the centre. Slattery provided full cost management services to the project.
For more information about the project, please contact maja.meh@slattery.com.au
