Western Australia's Inspector of Custodial Services, Eamon Ryan, has slammed Broome Regional Prison as "unfit for purpose", noting "unacceptable conditions that fail to meet basic standards" at the facility, including women being forced to share their unit with male prisoners.

The Inspector released his new report on the Kimberley region prison, in which Indigenous people are drastically over-represented, on Wednesday.

The most recent OICS inspection found the prison "remains unfit for purpose" and that prisoners accommodated in the Maximum-Security Section are "held in unacceptable conditions that fail to meet basic standards".

The Inspector found the prison's infrastructure is "degraded and poorly maintained, posing ongoing risks to both prisoners and staff".

The review found that despite some improvements - "such as strengthening community relationships, provision of community work programs and engagement with local Elders" - most services, including health and mental health support, remain "inadequate" and "there were few meaningful rehabilitation opportunities".

For women, conditions "are only marginally better", and population pressures have forced them to share their unit with men, which "falls well short of minimum national and international standards for safety and dignity", the report found.

In May 2019, the WA government announced the allocation of $1.4million to begin planning for a new facility to replace Broome Regional Prison. But to date, a site has not been confirmed, no construction has commenced, and the uncertainty around the current facility remains.

Mr Ryan said Broome Regional Prison "operates in overcrowded, degraded and unhygienic conditions which fall well short of community expectations and international standards".

"The prison is operating beyond its capacity, which places staff, services, and infrastructure under unsustainable strain. The cumulative impact of these pressures upon prisoner and staff wellbeing is also unsustainable," he said.

"The absence of clarity around a new prison in Broome means that men and women sent there must endure sub-standard conditions that offer limited rehabilitation opportunities, and most will be released no better than when they were first sent there."

Kurin Minang human rights expert and law academic Hannah McGlade told National Indigenous Times the latest report "identifies shocking problems in the maximum security section of Broome prison, including cockroach infestation and overcrowding such that men and women are being forced into the same area".

"This is third world and completely unacceptable. No doubt it's tolerated because the majority of prisoners are Aboriginal people, which evidences systemic racism," Dr McGlade said.

"We are a rich state thanks to the mining taking place on Aboriginal lands yet people are being treated as less than human in prisons, and dying as a result.

"It's time the Department appoint a Deputy Aboriginal Commissioner to ensure Aboriginal people are treated better than this.

"And we must stop locking up so many people in the first place, wasting valuable taxpayer dollars and making the problem even worse."

In response to the report, Western Australia's Department of Justice said "work is continuing on initiatives designed to enhance safety and security at Broome and to increase prisoners' access to meaningful activities".

The Department noted the Office of the Inspector recognised "strong progress in reconnecting with the local community", the establishment of an Aboriginal services committee, and the introduction of new initiatives including an Elders program that involved regular cultural visits.

Acting Department Director General Joanne Stampalia said Broome remains "focused on facilitating better rehabilitation and reintegration outcomes for prisoners in its care".

"Engagement with local community organisations is one of our key priorities in our efforts to increase opportunities and cultural support for First Nations people in custody," she said.

The Department noted prisoners undertake supervised work in the community including equine therapy activities, building maintenance, wildlife rescue and bushfire mitigation.

Corrective Services Commissioner Brad Royce said the recently released Corrective Services 2025 2030 Strategic Plan sets out "a clear vision for strengthening capabilities" across WA's prison system.