Warning: This report discusses suicide, mental health, and abuse. If you or anyone you know is affected, there are helplines at the end of the article.

The story includes the names of First Nations people who have died.

Victoria's largest women's prison has seen multiple suicide attempts, a lack of cultural safety, and rolling lockdowns in the last few months, with experts arguing it will only get worse with the state's new bail laws coming into effect.

The Dame Phyllis Frost Centre (DPFC) is the state's only women's maximum-security facility. National Indigenous Times has been made aware of at least seven women - more than half of them First Nations - who have attempted to take their own lives in the past two months in the facility.

Experts have told this publication that lockdowns - women kept in their cells for extended periods beyond regular times - have become a regular occurrence at DPFC. As a result, inmates are often unable to attend sessions with counsellors, drug and alcohol support workers and Aboriginal Wellbeing Officers (AWOs).

A sexual assault counselling service told National Indigenous Times during lockdowns, inmates "experience unprecedented periods of prolonged isolation, a stripping back or, in some cases, complete removal of supportive services".

With the new bail laws likely to see an explosion of female prisoners, in line with what happened the last time they were strengthened, people have said an inmate dying isn't a case of if, but when.

Former prisoners, who spoke on condition of anonymity, have detailed a lack of support services. At times, they said the only acting AWO - known as an Aboriginal Services Officer (ASO) - was a white male, who is also a guard.

According to a DPFC handbook, an ASO don't need to be Indigenous, but "must always ensure they work in a trauma-informed manner when supporting Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women".

"This involves ensuring the women feel culturally safe and supported, are collaborated with and where possible and safe to do so, are given choice to support a sense of empowerment."

There remain questions how a guard can perform this duty under those guidelines.

It is understood DPFC is actively looking to recruit for three AWO positions. However, a spokesperson for the Department of Justice and Community Safety (DJCS) didn't directly address questions from National Indigenous Times regarding how many AWO's and ASO's are currently working at DPFC.

​​Last year, a report by Victoria's ombudsman found Indigenous prisoners are dealing with deeply confronting and distressing conditions, arguing a lack of input by First Nations people into health-related policy in jails has a devastating impact.

"We heard about a yearning for cultural connection," then-Ombudsman Deborah Glass said.

"About the devastating impact a lack of cultural and family connection in prison can have, and what a huge difference it makes when they do receive cultural support with their healthcare needs."

Even the officials who "help," do so with a robotic stillness, a former inmate says.

"There's no empathy," they said. "I don't understand why prisons employ these people.

"They're happy for the cycle to continue."

Inmates detailed having "dinner" at 3.30 pm, eating or getting food in less than ten minutes, before being confined to their cells for the rest of the evening.

One expert who is in regular contact with prisoners in DPFC told National Indigenous Times: "Essentially, people are being kept in solitary confinement."

A DJCS spokesperson said they had made "changes at DPFC to ensure everyone receives the healthcare they need".

"This includes transitioning to a public healthcare provider and introducing the Aboriginal Healing Unit to provide culturally safe rehabilitation supports for Aboriginal women in custody."

The spokesperson said across Victoria, prisoners' "out-of-cell hours" are above the national average, noting "we regularly review operational guidelines to make sure they continue to keep staff and people in custody safe".

A letter seen by this publication showed that staff shortages at WestCASA, a community-based not-for-profit sexual assault counselling service, had been cut last April due to staff shortages. This had "greatly" impacted their ability to take on new clients, the letter to DPFC inmates said.

WestCASA told National Indigenous Times after a "period of pause and review" they recommenced operating in DPFC "under a new contract, under which a model of care for Specialist Trauma Service has been developed" from July 1, 2024.

"WestCASA will continue to work closely to support clients in the journey they are on at Dame Phyllis Frost to address the unexpected impacts of lockdown in accessing the tools they need to self-support," they said.

Corrections data at the end of March showed DPFC had 283 inmates, whilst the state's only other prison, the minimum security Tarrengower Prison, has 48. It is far cry from 2019, where more than 600 women were behind bars.

But, with the state implementing bail laws eerily similar to the ones from that period, which saw an explosion of women being incarcerated for low-level offences, there is a fear the numbers will explode again, and women behind bars will only suffer further with a lack of services and supplies.

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