Two prisoners used fire to burn through the frame of their cell window earlier this month, before kicking out the window pane and escaping outside.

Matthew John Millard and Colin Maxwell Booth used garden tools to create gaps in at least two internal cyclone fences before their absence was discovered.

They gave themselves up by calling the prison's control room on an intercom. The pair told the guards they were cold and wished to return to their cells.

The escape attempt forced a shift in prison policy, with ACT Corrections officers now able to carry batons and patrol in pairs on night shift.

Ms Gallagher said the breakout was concerning, but said they were an unfortunate yet natural part of the corrections system.

''In its short history, the AMC staff have managed these situations very well,'' she said.

''When you look at the nature of correctional facilities, they're not easy places to run and keep trouble free.

''I think the AMC has done very well, but I have no doubt that we'll have more of these issues into the future, it's the nature of corrections.''

The opposition said the relative ease with which Booth and Millard were able to break out of the cell block was symptomatic of the government's mismanagement of the prison.

Opposition corrections spokesman Jeremy Hanson said it was wrong to assume breakouts were a natural part of corrections.

''Some of the issues that we've seen, with the methadone overdoses, the proliferation of drugs and needles in the jail, I think it's certainly symptomatic of prison management under ACT Labor, but that doesn't mean it's right,'' he said.

''It certainly begs the question, what breakdown was there in either the security facility or the procedures that led to that.''

Mr Hanson said the security breach made a mockery of plans to have a needle exchange operating safely at the jail.

That plan, announced earlier this month, would see prisoners exchange dirty needles for clean needles, in a one-for-one type model overseen by medical professionals.

The opposition is fiercely opposed to the needle exchange, and is seeking to differentiate itself from the government on the issue in the lead-up to October's election.

''This is a government that can't even manage the basics of prison management, and they want to bring in Australia's first needle exchange in a prison environment,'' Mr Hanson said.

Ms Gallagher has stated she expects a needle exchange to be operating by as early as next year.

The government will meet with the guards' union over the issue next month to map out a consultation process.

The Community and Public Sector Union's chief concern is that any needle exchange would see an explosion in the number of needles held by prisoners, posing safety risks to their guards.