The introduction notes that five public prisons closed and three private prisons opened in the period under review. The functions performed by each of the current 13 prisons resulted from careful consideration of the nature of the infrastructure, specific security and safety considerations, the special needs of individual prisoners and prisoner groups, health and treatment requirements, and programs to provide restitution and offer opportunities for rehabilitation. The number of prisoners on June 30, 1999, was more than 100 percent of the design capacity of the prison system. In addition, 1998 was the fourth consecutive year in which Victoria’s overall crime rate was the lowest of all Australian jurisdictions. The inmate population increased from 2,467 to 2,923 between June 30, 1995, and June 30, 1999. Inmates under age 25 represented 26 percent of the inmates in June 1999, compared with 20.8 percent in June 1995. System performance improved during 1998-99, as indicated by reduced escapes, inmate deaths, positive random drug tests, self-mutilations, and a marginal increase in the inmate employment rate. Tables, figures, and profiles of individual institutions