The western Victorian town of Ararat has identified a growth opportunity in the form of a special jail for ageing prisons, citing that there are no prisons delivering geriatric care. They have contracted Keith Hamburger, the ex director-general of Queensland’s Corrective Services to champion their case.

11% of prisoners are now aged over 50 and while in the 1980s and 90s most people died in prison from self harm, today most die from natural causes. The trend is also for longer sentences. In California where geriatric care in prison is spiralling in costs, a system of younger prisoners being paid to support older prisoners has been implemented.

A spokesperson for Corrections Victoria said that “as in the general community, the ageing population will pose some challenges for the prison system, not just in Victoria but right across the country.”

Not all councils welcome new jails despite the boost in terms of local employment and economic activity, especially to communities where traditional industries have declined.

The Victorian government says any decision is some way off.