For more than a decade, prisoners at Tarrengower have worked closely with retired racing dogs, taking them through a training regime to prepare them for adoption into new homes.

The four-week program is part of the Prison Pet Partnership between Corrections Victoria and Greyhound Racing Victoria.

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The program teaches selected prisoners valuable new skills to assist with their transition back into the community upon release.

Corrections minister Natalie Hutchins visited the women's prison today to mark the Greyhound Adoption Program's major milestone.

"Rehabilitation and reintegration programs play a vital role in helping to break the cycle of re-offending, and programs like this provide prisoners with new skills and a sense of pride," she said.

"It has been great to see the bond between the prisoners and the greyhounds today. The dogs will now prosper as pets thanks to the Greyhound Adoption Program and the women who have been so dedicated to training them."

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As part of the program, the women train them to become familiar with stairs, noisy household appliances and being walked on a lead.

Tarrengower Prison, located near Maldon, is a minimum-security facility for low-risk women prisoners who are nearing the end of their sentence and provides transition and reintegration support prior to release.

The GAP at Tarrengower Prison has been operating since 2009, two years after the program began at Dhurringile Prison, near Murchison, in 2007.

GRV provides food and veterinary care for the greyhounds and delivers weekly training for the prisoners, which was moved online due to COVID-19 restrictions.

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