By Richard Willingham and State Political Correspondent
A riot at the Malmsbury Youth Justice Centre came to a dramatic end on Thursday night, with heavily armed police storming the facility.
Six inmates were arrested after rioting at the facility.
Police were called to Malmsbury at 1.50pm after the inmates armed themselves with metal poles and locked themselves in a secure exercise yard.
The situation came to a head shortly before 6.30pm, when heavily armed riot police carrying shields stormed the facility.
Riot police prepare to enter Malmsbury Youth Justice Centre.Credit: Courtesy of Nine News
Six inmates were arrested and brought out by the riot police shortly after.
A police spokeswoman said the six inmates would be interviewed on Thursday night, with control of the facility due to be handed back to prison guards.
The whole centre had been put in lockdown to prevent any trouble spreading, sources said. The centre has capacity for 135 juvenile inmates, and is close to full at present.
A Department of Health and Human Services spokesman said the perimeter of the centre was secure. He said the incident was safely resolved without any injuries to staff or young people.
Teenagers at the Malmsbury Youth Justice Centre during the riot.Credit: Courtesy of Nine News
Last September, rioting prisoners scaled the roof of the Malmsbury centre, about 100 kilometres north-west of Melbourne.
Inmates during a riot at Malmsbury earlier this month.Credit: Nine Network
Violence erupted again at the facility in October, when a group of youths ripped benches from their fittings and armed themselves with metal legs before taunting guards.
Also last year, the Parkville Youth Justice Centre was crippled so badly by rioting teens that some units were left inoperable. The Andrews government moved some teen inmates from Parkville to a unit at the notorious Barwon prison for adults.
Teenagers inside Malmsbury Youth Justice Centre.Credit: Courtesy of Nine News
That initial move was found to be illegal by the Supreme Court – the government has since re-gazetted the Grevillea unit to allow for teens to be held there.
Youth justice has become a major headache for the government, which has come under attack for its response to an increase in the crime rate.