In a statement issued on Thursday by Minister Mick Gentleman, who was only installed in the Corrections portfolio after last year's election, Mr Jon Peach will be taking on "a new role within the Justice and Community Safety directorate".

Mr Peach was appointed the executive director of Canberra's corrections services in 2017, and was subsequently promoted to commissioner. He had previously run much larger prison services in the UK and in Western Australia.

The sudden move comes directly after an Aboriginal woman who claims she was strip-searched in front of male prisoners at Canberra's jail has indicated she would sue authorities over the alleged incident.

Julie Tongs, chief executive officer of Winnunga Aboriginal Health and Community Services, has been fiercely critical of the treatment of Indigenous prisoners at Canberra's Alexander Maconochie Centre, and says that detainees in the prison are routinely subjected to racism.

Supported by the Canberra Liberals, Ms Tongs wants an independent inquiry into the issue but this was rejected by Labor and the Greens.

However, the Minister has flagged an independent review into the over-representation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples in the territory's justice system, and this could include the racism allegations.

Mr Peach's shift out of the top role at Corrections also comes after a riot at Canberra's maximum security prison late last year which has been comprehensively investigated by the independent Inspector of Correctional Services.

The inspector, Neil McAllister, confirmed that his report is being finalised and is due to be tabled at the ACT Legislative Assembly "very soon". It is expected to be critical of various responses to the November incident.

Last month Victoria's former top police officer, Christine Nixon, was appointed to lead an oversight committee to address staff and training problems at Canberra's prison.

This follows an earlier review by Mr McAllister which found that a vehicle used to transport prisoners had serious design flaws that could trap prisoners in the event of a crash or fire.

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Minister Gentleman thanked Mr Peach for his service and said in a statement that reform and improvements would "remain at the top of the agenda for corrections in the ACT".

In a statement, a spokesman for the Minister said that the ACT government is "responding to the growing security and emergency management national agenda" and Mr Peach has "taken the opportunity to step into the new role of executive general manager, Security and Emergency Management".

"Mr Peach has a strong background in safety and security from his time the UK armed forces and as director for security services in the Department of Corrective Services in WA," the spokesman said.

Emergency Services Deputy Commissioner Ray Johnson will act as Corrections commissioner while a permanent recruitment process is undertaken.

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