The minister for Western Australia's beleaguered justice system is set to resign from politics this week.

Paul Papalia has served as Minister for Corrective Services since June 2023, after inheriting a system in crisis.

Under his watch, WA's justice system has continued to endure overcrowding, short staffing, inadequate services, and alarming rates of self-harm and suicides among prisoners - including children. During this time, two boys died in custody in WA's youth justice system, including Yamatji teenager Cleveland Dodd.

Indigenous people are drastically over-represented in WA's prison system, particularly in the children's prisons of Banksia Hill and the notorious Unit 18.

Kurin Minang human rights expert and law academic Dr Hannah McGlade, a long-time advocate of restorative justice, said the Minister's departure presented the WA Government a chance to pursue reform after many years of failure.

"This is an opportunity for the Premier to take the issue of incarceration, indeed mass incarceration, in Western Australia seriously," she told National Indigenous Times.

"This is a giant burden in terms of the fiscal cost to our state a well as the human rights violations that have been consistent raised, including by Office of the Inspector of Custodial Services.

"We can't continue down this track of locking up Aboriginal men, women and children without regard to the principle of incarceration being a measure of last resort - a fundamental principle of the Royal Commission into Aboriginal Deaths in Custody some thirty years ago."

Dr McGlade said the state government's record demonstrated "a failure of the commitments that have been made to First Nations people - including reconciliation and truth-telling commitments".

"It has been highly damaging to the relationship between Aboriginal people and the state government, as well as the threat to the lives and wellbeing of Aboriginal people," she said.

Dr McGlade noted the longevity in the corrections role of both Mr Papalia and his predecessor Bill Johnston, despite the long-running crisis in the corrections system, and questioned the standards to which ministers are held by the WA Government.

"Years ago, there was a proposition made by the state ALP government for an office of Aboriginal accountability, something along those lines, and it was a good proposal; it was very solid, and it was about really making traction on closing the gap and ensuring that government departments do their bit and address systemic discrimination and implement outstanding recommendations of inquiries," she said.

"Now, that proposal was abandoned with no proper explanation and we absolutely need to revisit it.

"The fact we have no Aboriginal voice to parliament, we have been silenced, even though we live in a very wealthy mining state and we know egregious breaches are happening. This is not by accident that we are being our independent representative institution to raise these issues; this is by design."

Dr McGlade said WA Labor was not living up to "their promise of respect to Aboriginal people".

Justice Reform Initiative WA coordinator Kimberley Wilde said the impending ministerial change "comes at a critical moment".

"A new Minister will bring fresh eyes to the problems in justice in Western Australia. We now have an opportunity to look afresh at what is working elsewhere and how Western Australia can build a justice system that delivers better outcomes for the wider community," she said.

"The international experts who visited Banksia Hill last week, and spoke with those in the sector, came from places that once faced many of the same challenges we see here today. They have shown it is possible to reduce youth incarceration while strengthening community safety through early intervention, therapeutic responses and strong partnerships with community.

"We stand ready to share that evidence and to support a genuine reset."

Indigenous and other justice advocates have long called for a shift of state funding from Western Australia's bloated prison system to rehabilitation and diversion programs.

New York City major Zohran Mamdani has provided practical example of the power of justice reinvestment, with a significant fall in the crime rate on his watch coming after investments in community development and justice diversionary programs.

Mr Papalia, the member for Secret Harbour, is leaving parliament all together, which will trigger a by-election in his electorate.

The ABC reports Labor MPs have been summoned to a caucus meeting on Friday, where it is understood a new minister will be elected.