A leading Indigenous human rights and law expert says Western Australia's corrective services minister lacks the knowledge, experience and commitment to reform the state's trouble youth justice system.

After the death of a 17-year-old boy in Banksia Hill Detention Centre - who Commissioner Brad Royce said identified as Indigenous - the second death in custody in WA's youth detention system in less than one year, Kurin Minang human rights expert and law academic Dr Hannah McGlade suggested Minister Paul Papalia is not fit for the job.

"Minister Papalia is showing he is not capable of leading reform and he lacks the knowledge and experience – and it is not clear he has the commitment either," she told National Indigenous Times.

"It is sad and problematic, we have had two children die in youth detention in WA in less than 12 months, and I understand the government today, while they are saddened and shocked, say they are confident Banksia Hill is operating well, which is startling.

"We know the new model of care is being implemented but clearly the under-staffing issues and the issues with solitary confinement remain."

Dr McGlade, a member of the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues, said advocates and experts had long called for significant change to the system.

"After Cleveland Dodd's death last year we called for Aboriginal Elders and senior people to be brought into the youth detention system to work with the children and support them, immediately," she said.

"We are worried that children are still locked up in cells, putting them at risk of suicide.

"Banksia Hill is never going to become a safe place; prisons are no place for children. The very nature of a prison, with barbwire and locked cells, is traumatic and even abusive for children.

"Prison should be a last resort for children, that is the standard set by human rights law, but that is not the case in WA."

National Indigenous Times has contacted the office of Minister Papalia for comment.

Earlier on Friday, Gunnai, Gunditjmara and Djab Wurrung independent senator for Victoria, Lidia Thorpe, called for the federal government to intervene in youth detention systems across the country to protect the human rights of child detainees.

Note: The original version of this report said the youth who lost his life was Indigenous. According to Commissioner Brad Royce, the boy identified as Indigenous. National Indigenous Times understands the boy's stepfather is Indigenous.