Labor will reopen a youth prison just two years after closing it, as the state government grapples with rising rates of crime and an increasing number of young people being held on remand.

Malmsbury Youth Justice Centre closed in 2023 after being plagued by violence against staff and attempted escapes.

Victorian Minister for Corrections and Youth Justice Enver Erdogan. Credit: AAP

When announcing its closure, Youth Justice Minister Enver Erdogan described its infrastructure as “ageing” and said Cherry Creek Justice Centre was better suited to rehabilitation and had more modern security features.

In announcing the reopening on Tuesday morning, Erdogan defended the government’s 2023 closure.

“That was the right decision then, and this is the right decision now,” he said.

He said M

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