Particle.news
Download on the App Store
6 ARTICLES
·
4w ago

Victoria Inmate Sues for Right to Vegemite, Pitting Cultural Claim Against Prison Ban

Prison officials justify the 2006 ban as necessary for drug detection integrity, citing yeast-related brewing risks.

A piece of toast is prepared with Vegemite in Sydney, Australia, Monday, Nov. 17, 2025. (AP Photo/Rick Rycroft)
Image
Image
Vegemite has been banned inside Victoria's jails since 2006 over fears the yeast-laden spread could be used to brew makeshift alcohol known as "pruno" or "hooch"

Overview

  • Andre McKechnie filed suit in the Supreme Court of Victoria seeking access to Vegemite while incarcerated.
  • He argues the policy violates his Charter right to enjoy his culture and breaches the Corrections Act duty to provide adequate food.
  • The spread has been prohibited in Victorian prisons since 2006 over concerns it can mask contraband from detection dogs and aid illicit alcohol production.
  • A trial is scheduled for 2026, and the Department of Justice and Community Safety along with Corrections Victoria declined to comment.
  • McKechnie, 54, is serving a life sentence for a 1994 murder at maximum-security Port Phillip Prison, and victims’ advocates have condemned the claim as frivolous.