Western Australia's Inspector of Custodial Services has raised concerns about the disadvantages faced by women, as well as ageing infrastructure and population growth, in Roebourne Regional Prison.

The latest OICS inspection report on the Pilbara prison, in WA's north, also found the installation of air-conditioning in all prisoner accommodation areas had led to "significant improvements" in prisoner wellbeing.

The report, tabled in parliament Tuesday, noted the prison continues to face challenges relating to staffing shortages, population and infrastructure.

The Office of the Inspector noted it had called for action to address the extreme heat at the prison for more than 20 years, and acknowledged the installation of air-conditioning has had a positive impact on prisoner wellbeing and behaviour.

Women prisoners - overwhelmingly Indigenous - remained disadvantaged, with reduced access to programs and services compared with male prisoners at the facility, the report found.

Acting Inspector of Custodial Services, Jane Higgins, urged significant change to address this problem.

"Women remain marginalised and disadvantaged at Roebourne and need dedicated facilities, staffing, programs and services to ensure they have equitable access to opportunities for rehabilitation and care that meet their unique needs," she said.

Kurin Minang human rights expert and law academic Hannah McGlade told National Indigenous Times the prison was not fit to accommodate women.

"The latest OICS report on Roebourne indicates that the needs of Aboriginal women can not be met in this prison. Clearly then Aboriginal women should not be incarcerated at Roebourne," Dr McGlade said.

"It's important that the rehabilitation needs of these women are met. Most Aboriginal women who are incarcerated have histories of being subjected to violence, as women, as children, and trauma that has been neglected. This can heighten their risk of dying in custody.

"Roebourne is not a fit prison for Aboriginal women and their lives should be respected. We need to start prioritising the needs of Aboriginal women, diverting them from prison and ensuring any prison facilities are fit for purpose."

The report also found ageing infrastructure and population growth were placing increasing pressure on the prison, limiting opportunities for employment, out-of-cell time and recreation.

While custodial and non-custodial staffing shortages continued to affect service delivery across the prison, the report recognised efforts to bolster recruitment and improve operations in a "challenging" regional environment.

Positive findings included strong partnerships with local organisations and a peer support program that plays an important role in supporting vulnerable prisoners.

Acting Inspector Higgins said staff and prisoners told the inspection team the air conditioning had "made a real difference to prisoner wellbeing and their general behaviour within the prison".

"This improvement demonstrates the important role independent oversight can play in identifying issues, sustaining attention on them, and holding the Department accountable to take reasonable steps to address them," she said.