Forty guards from adult prisons armed with capsicum spray and batons are moving in to secure Victoria's youth justice system by Monday morning.
But a group of lawyers says it will put young people at risk of being tortured.
"The Royal Commission in the Northern Territory showed that juvenile inmates in the Don Dale detention facility were subjected to horrendous abuse at the hands of the corrections staff," Australian Lawyers Alliance spokesman Greg Barns said.
"Part of the problem there was that the staff were not properly trained to work with children in detention."
The government announced on Friday that Corrections Victoria would take charge of the Malmsbury and Parkville centres and newly created Grevillea unit in Barwon prison - with the new guards installed by Monday.
"They are able to take swift and certain action where they need to assure the safety and security of the centre or any person in it" ," Corrections Commissioner Jan Shuard told reporters on Friday.
The security roles previously fell to youth justice workers, who were only allowed shields for self protection.
The measure follows the escape of 15 inmates on Wednesday, who stole numerous cars and assaulted people during a 24-hour crime spree while on the run.
The last of the group were caught on Thursday afternoon and will be transferred to the Grevillea unit.
Premier Daniel Andrews says the new officers will deliver order.
"We're dealing with a cohort of violent offenders - conduct that the youth justice system was never built to deal with," he told reporters on Friday.
The centres will still be managed by the Department of Health and Human Services but the new corrections staff will manage security and teach youth justice workers tactics on dealing with rioting youths.
The government has promised to build a youth prison to handle violent inmates but there are no details yet on its capacity or location.
Numerous riots have been staged at Malmsbury and Parkville over the past 18 months, with inmates climbing roofs and assaulting guards.
Seven offenders have been charged with escaping a youth justice centre, intentionally causing injury, vehicle theft, aggravated burglary and other offences.
They appeared before a magistrate on Friday and were remanded to appear at a children's court at a later date.
Related reading
Victoria overhauls bail system after CBD horror smash
