Rioting Aussie youth justice inmates bribed with food, beverages

Guards in Aussie Victoria's Youth Justice system have been forced to bribe inmates with treats as a last resort to stop riots.

News Limited reported that staff at Malmsbury Youth Justice Centre, 100 km northwest of Melbourne, offered rioting inmates pizza and carbonated drinks to end a stand-off in September.

The same tactics was also reportedly used at the inner-Melbourne Parkville Youth Justice Centre to convince inmates who had climbed onto a roof to come down.

Staff at the facilities have shown a reluctance to confront rioting teens, expressing fears that they could be attacked.

In the latest in a string of riots 12 detainees at Malmsbury took control of the center for three hours, keeping guards at bay with makeshift weapons and smashing windows.

The next day two teens, one of whom had previously attacked somebody with a machete in Melbourne, attacked two members of staff.

Jenny Mikalos, Victoria's Minister for Youth Affairs, said Saturday's rioters had been transferred to Victoria's highest security youth justice facility and could be moved to an adult prison.

"I condemn in the strongest possible terms the behavior by young people at Malmsbury on Saturday night," Mikalos told News Limited on Tuesday.

Mikalos said that "far tougher measures" to "stamp out this behaviour" was in the pipeline and would be announced soon.

Georgie Crozier, a spokesperson for the Opposition, said the system was "in crisis" as "the escalation of violence and destruction continues".

A WorkSafe report into Malmsbury released in September said "employees' health and safety is at risk of serious or fatal injuries due to the amount of attacks and assaults on staff members occurring at this location." Endit