They were violent young offenders. But something happened to these ‘lost boys’ of Port Phillip

Anne Hooker worked as a prison officer for 13 years for Corrections Victoria, and Port Phillip Prison for a further 23 years. She also set up and ran a unit in jail called Penhyn, which housed young men aged 18 to 25. The unit became so highly sought after within the prison system that there was a waiting list to enter it, and as Hooker explained to Naked City host John Silvester, the environment she created in there led to recidivism rates (the times an offender returns to prison) slashed. Anne Hooker is one of a handful of experts who has the practical and academic experience to provide at least some of the answers to the country's – and particularly Victoria's – youth crime epidemic.

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They were violent young offenders. But something happened to these ‘lost boys’ of Port Phillip is an episode from Naked City by The Age and Sydney Morning Herald.

This episode is 26:55 long.

This episode was published on Apr 7, 2026.

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