Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews insists his embattled youth affairs minister continues to have his full confidence.
Jenny Mikakos is under fire again after detainees attacked staff at the Malsmbury Youth Justice Centre, sending the facility into lockdown and a guard to hospital with a broken nose.
The disturbance came days after the state government lost a third legal battle to hold a different group of teens in the adult, maximum security Barwon Prison.
Despite the repeated losses, Ms Mikakos says she remains "unapologetic" about putting the teens in Barwon.
Mr Andrews, who is on a four-day visit to China, on Wednesday said he was standing by his minister.
"She has my complete and total confidence," Mr Andrews told AAP while in Hong Kong.
"She's a very formidable person, she's no quitter."
He said Ms Mikakos inherited an under-funded system from the previous Liberal government, which had implemented savage cut backs.
"She is doing the hard work day by day," Mr Andrews said. "It's not easy work, it's very challenging given the mess she inherited."
The government moved youths into a designated unit inside Barwon last year after parts of the Parkville Youth Justice Centre were rendered uninhabitable by the riots.
Despite believing putting the youths in Barwon was the right thing and still with an option to appeal, Ms Mikakos had the detainees moved to Parkville within 24 hours of the latest ruling.
Parkville is still undergoing repairs and fortification works.
The entire system is now at capacity and short about 50 beds, so authorities may have to resort to double bunking or putting youths in isolation cells now Barwon is no longer an option, Ms Mikakos said earlier this week.
