The small size of the female population at Canberra's prison is a disadvantage for women and makes it harder for them to successfully return to the community, according to prisoner advocacy groups.
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During a Human Rights and Discrimination Commission audit into the conditions of female prisoners at the Alexander Maconochie Centre, submissions have been received claiming women are denied the same opportunities as men.
Women's Centre for Health Matters director Marcia Williams said: ''The issue is having a women's prison inside a men's prison. In most other jurisdictions there is a separation between the two.
''Within the Alexander Maconochie Centre women have to bear the brunt of being in a male-orientated environment.''
The prison is home to about 270 male prisoners and only 12 women. The two groups are required to be separated from each other at all times. Most of the education and employment programs are designed for men.
''We understand the difficulties involved with catering for a minority, but access to these programs would teach women to re-engage with society and give them a greater chance of not reoffending and ending up back in detention,'' Ms Williams said.
A member of the ACT Women in Prison Group, who did not want to be named, spent 11 years in the NSW prison system and was moved to the ACT for the last 13 months of her sentence.
''Knowing what I know now about how unequally women are treated at the AMC, I would have preferred to stay in NSW,'' she said.
The woman said access to education and rehabilitation programs was one of the key factors in a successful reintegration into society, but such programs were almost non-existent for women in the ACT.
''If someone is detained and they aren't given the opportunity for education, they won't rehabilitate, their choice to make themself a better person is taken away,'' she said.
''They will come out of jail with the same mindset, or worse, than what they went in with.
''They are going to get back into society and make the same mistakes again.''
Human Rights and Discrimination Commissioner Dr Helen Watchirs said the disadvantages for women in prison needed to be investigated.
''Having female and male detainees in the same prison is something that is very difficult to sustain and maintain compliance of human rights,'' Dr Watchirs said.
Advocacy groups said the AMC was restricted in expanding women's facilities without more funds.
''These allegations could have substantial budget impacts. Greater access to programs for women could mean a need for more buildings and more staff, and those all cost money,'' Dr Watchirs said.
The Women's Centre for Health Matters recognised the AMC was limited by a strict funding model, Ms Williams said. ''Their capacity to respond to our requests without some sort of recommendation from the government is very restricted. We are hoping that the results of the human rights audit will change that.''
The report is due by the end of the year.
