The former Maribyrnong Immigration Detention Centre will house men leaving jail to “slow the spread of coronavirus”.
The state government on Friday announced the centre, which closed for immigration detention last year, would accommodate up to 44 men.
Corrections Minister Ben Carroll said the move was part of efforts to reduce community transmission of COVID-19.
“Coronavirus is creating unprecedented challenges, including for the justice system,” he said.
“As we work to slow the spread of coronavirus, the safety of the community is our priority.
“We want to make sure vulnerable offenders who have completed their sentence are given appropriate accommodation, while reducing the risk of them contracting and spreading the virus.
“He said prisoners who had committed sex offences and those “assessed as posing an unacceptable risk” would not be housed at the centre.
“This facility will provide last-resort accommodation and any residents placed there will have a risk assessment focused on their behaviour and offending history,” Mr Carroll said.
A Community Advisory Group will be established immediately to provide ongoing information to the community about the project.
It will be chaired by former corrections minister and Williamstown MP Wade Noonan.
Maribyrnong councillors will be invited to participate.
The centre will have round the clock security and supervision.
It will have shared communal facilities, living areas, kitchens, administrative offices and outdoor areas.
Work to convert the centre into temporary accommodation for the men is expected to be finished in May and it will open for its new purpose in June.
Mr Carroll said the project would “create up to 100 construction jobs and support ongoing jobs in the public, private and not-for-profit sectors”.
To date, there have been no recorded cases of COVID-19 in Victorian prisons.
