With the state's crime rate continuing to rise – and young re-offenders a particular challenge for police – the state government and opposition both agree that a tougher approach is needed, and it could involve sending more teenage miscreants to adult prison.

Police Minister Lisa Neville told Fairfax Media that while this should not be "a first step" in sentencing, there were some cases where recidivists under the age of 18 might be better off away from juvenile detention, particularly if it meant protecting other impressionable youth.

"I think there are probably some 16 and 17 year olds who are very high and very violent offenders, where nothing is making a difference, and where maybe their impact will be so significant on other younger ones at Parkville or Malmsbury (youth detention centres) that you might want to move them," Ms Neville said.

"But we don't want to send everyone as a first step to an adult prison. It's got to be appropriate, and it's also probably about the protection of others at those centres."

Ms Neville's comments came only days after violence erupted again at the Malmsbury youth detention centre, when a group of young offenders began a rampage on Saturday night which took almost three hours to control.

Earlier this week, Opposition Leader Matthew Guy also called for a similar crackdown on violent teens, telling 3AW's Tom Elliott: "Some of those people need to be in an adult prison. They should not be held in a youth detention facility if they're going to go on a rampage and threaten and intimidate staff."

While the push to jail more young people in the adult system is emblematic of the Coalition's hardline approach to crime, it would represent something of a shift for Labor, which has often taken a more measured stance when it comes to young offenders.

Such a move is also likely to prove contentious among youth workers and legal groups, who often argue that allowing young people to be locked up with hardened adult criminals could end up doing them more harm than good.

"It's outrageous and irresponsible to talk about putting people into adult prison as a way of dealing with youth crime,' said YouthLaw director Ariel Couchman, in response to Mr Guy's comments this week. "The reasons for youth offending are complex, and we need to understand that and tackle the underlying causes."

Against a backdrop of home invasions, carjackings and other violent offences, law and order is becoming a key battleground in Victoria, with the state's crime rate increasing by 13.4 per cent in the 12 months to June this year.

As Chief Commissioner Graham Ashton has repeatedly pointed out, there is also a growing group of young people, mostly boys, involved in multiple crimes – burglaries, thefts and robberies – whose repeat and violent offending has alarmed authorities.

Ms Neville said in those cases early diversion simply wasn't working, so a tougher approach was needed.

"In some cases there are people who have been locked up three, four, or five times," Ms Neville said. "You don't want to cause cross contamination where you've got really violent offenders trying to recruit the younger ones."

The Youth Parole Board currently has the capacity to send young offenders into the adult system but rarely does so.