Young offenders in Victoria's youth justice centres will have to double bunk or sleep in isolation cells without toilets as the system heaves under severe pressure, the government says.
The system is at full capacity and short about 50 beds after cells at Parkville Youth Justice Centre were rendered uninhabitable during riots last year, Youth Affairs Minister Jenny Mikakos says.
Construction is still under way to repair and fortify Parkville.
But last week, teens were moved back in to the centre after the government lost a third court challenge over the legality of holding the teens at the adult Barwon maximum security prison.
Ms Mikakos said if more youths came into the system before the works at Parkville are finished, they will have to go into the ill-equipped cells.
"They'll have to be in shared cell accommodation. They'll have to be put to sleep in isolation rooms, some of which don't have toilets," she told 3AW on Monday.
Her admission came a day after staff were attacked at the Malmsbury Youth Justice Centre by about six detainees.
Worksafe and Victoria Police are investigating the incident that landed one guard in hospital with a broken nose and injured two others.
Windows were smashed and a camera damaged in the brawl, which forced the early lockdown of the facility.
Opposition Leader Matthew Guy said it should never have reached the stage where detainees were sharing cells.
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