PRISONERS who get compensation payments face having them frozen for a year to enable victims to get a share.

The State Government will today introduce legislation designed to increase the chance of the victims getting compensation.

Prisoners have previously won cash for injuries incurred while in the state's care.

But Corrections Minister Bob Cameron said the new laws would block them from accessing any money for a year, whether it came from the state or from a private prison operator.

This would allow victims to pursue civil action.

He said: "When a prisoner receives a payout, the information will be made public and details made available to registered victims.

"The money awarded to prisoners will be kept in a quarantined trust fund by the Department of Justice until legal proceedings end.

"These laws give victims another opportunity to make criminals accountable for the pain and suffering they have caused."

Mr Cameron said Victoria was mirroring legislation in NSW, where he said a prisoner was forced to pay victims $100,000 in March.

Child support agencies would be able to access any compensation, to pay out maintenance owed to families of men imprisoned.

The compensation in question involves payouts to inmates for incidents such as jail accidents or assaults.

The legislation will not be retrospective, officials confirmed.

A sex offender who slipped and injured himself in Barwon Prison in 2004 is claiming compensation for his injuries. The matter is now before the courts.

In 2003, a prisoner won a confidential payout after slipping while playing a game of table tennis at the Melbourne Remand Centre.