Young offenders back to school at Malmsbury Youth Justice Centre Community Services Minister Mary Wooldridge says the college offers a safer and more productive environment for all. YOUNG offenders are being sent back to the classroom at a new school that has opened behind bars. The school, at the Malmsbury Youth Justice Centre in central Victoria, is a campus of the newly registered Parkville College, which opened at the Parkville Youth Justice Precinct last year. Detainees who often spent their days playing ping pong now focus on reading and numeracy to boost their chances of contributing to society on their release. Assistant principal Brendan Murray said the school, which opened three weeks ago, had 90 male students aged 18-21. Only half had been studying via TAFE because places were at capacity. But all now attended classes catering for study up to year 12 and even university, from 9am-5.30pm on weekdays, year-round. Some lessons are also run at weekends. "We're keeping them really busy for the first time," Mr Murray said. The Parkville campus operated as a pilot last year. Now, with the status of a state school, it has expanded to cater for all 125 detainees, who can be as young as 11. The improvement in literacy and numeracy skills has been dramatic. For each month of study, students' ability typically improves by an entire year, tapering off only after the three-year mark. Incidents of misbehaviour in one unit fell by 63 per cent. "It's more likely if someone has a job or qualifications that they are not going to re-offend," Mr Murray said. But also what we're really focused on is to teach these young men how to operate amongst each other. You've got to develop your interpersonal skills. One could argue that's why so many people are in here. Community Services Minister Mary Wooldridge said the college offered a safer and more productive environment for all. "We all know that access to education is vital to the successful rehabilitation of young people in custody," Ms Wooldridge said.