Eight police officers were injured when four prisoners tried to escape from a Melbourne police station.

But proposed new laws would allow more prisoners to appear in court via video link from jail and reduce pressure on police cells, the Victorian government says.

The four men in their 20s and 30s overpowered the four police, escaped custody and entered staff-only areas of the station in Melbourne's south on Monday night before other officers stopped them.

Two of eight injured officers required brief hospitalisation for minor injuries.

Opposition corrections spokesman Ed O'Donohue said police had agreed to hold up to 100 prisoners in cells but recently this had doubled.

This was because maximum security beds were taken offline after the Metropolitan Remand Centre riot in 2015 that was sparked by a ban on smoking in Victorian prisons.

"Premier Daniel Andrews needs to take charge of this situation, get the prisoners in prison, rather than being babysat by police in police cells," Mr O'Donohue told reporters on Tuesday.

Acting Corrections Minister Robin Scott hit back at the Liberals, saying numbers at one stage under the former government had exceeded 370.

He also said legislation was introduced on Tuesday to allow prisoners to appear in court via video link in hearings of an administrative nature.

"(It) will reduce the need to move people through police cells, reducing pressure on police cells and their numbers," he said.

Mr Scott said 200 police custody officers, to be introduced by the middle of this year, would ensure specialised staff deal with those in police cells.

A 34-year-old man, a 28-year-old man and two men aged 24 are expected to be charged with escape, assaulting police and various other offences.