At first glance, The Beauty Spot could be any other salon — with manicures, waxing and hairdressing on offer.

But this salon is behind bars at Bandyup Women's Prison in Perth and the clientele is not there to be pampered, but to learn.

The prison salon, built by inmates who gained bricklaying qualifications in jail, opened earlier this month.

Acting deputy commissioner for offender management Bindiya Puri said the aim was for prisoners to gain qualifications that would improve their chances at employment and reduce the risk of reoffending.

Inside the stark confines of Bandyup, inmates are developing their beauty salon skills. ( ABC News )

"The Beauty Spot is a platform for women to develop their skills and their expertise in going out into the community and potentially finding jobs, and that means that there is a likelihood of them not reoffending," she said.

"The Beauty Spot provides the opportunity for them to learn skills in not only the beauty services, but also literacy and numeracy, and how they can plan, organise and communicate.

"That holistic approach is really important."

Ms Puri said the Department of Justice was reviewing its inmate programs to make sure it catered adequately for women.

Given women only made up 10 per cent of the state's prison population, the prison system had traditionally been male-centric, she said.

"Women have different needs and considerations and if we are looking at true rehabilitation, we have got to look at that diversity, we have got to provide different treatment — one size does not fit all," she said.

Female leadership takes charge

Improving gender diversity at the top of the chain at Western Australia's Department of Justice was a major focus for commissioner Tony Hassall this year.

The department now has a record number of women in senior roles, including Cheryl Clay as deputy commissioner.

Bindiya Puri, Cheryl Clay and Andrea Bowen are among the women in senior roles at WA's Department of Corrective Services. ( ABC News; Rhiannon Shine )

"Predominately prisons are male-dominated environments and I have been really lucky to get some experienced leaders to join the team that are women and they bring a completely different view of how we approach our work, which is great," Mr Hassall said.

"I did want more diversity in senior leadership roles so we used recruiters and we did ask them to go out and seek out women who might fill those roles, and that has proven very successful.

"We have more women superintendents now than we have had before, we have a woman deputy commissioner and assistant commissioner.

"It is better than it was, but it is not really where I want it to be — I would like 50/50."

Women understand juggling roles

Ms Puri, whose role was also created this year, said greater diversity in senior roles played an important part in improving outcomes for female prisoners.

"I have always said that if you want to make change, you need to have people from those cohorts to provide that influence," she said.

Bandyup Prison's The Beauty Spot salon teaches a variety of skills to help prisoners find work upon reelease. ( ABC News: Rhiannon Shine )

"I think women bring in their different way of thinking.

"If you are at the table with your male counterparts, there is no need to be one of them because the fact that you are at the table is because you bring different thoughts and ideas, and that is what you need to showcase to the table."

Ms Clay said the department aimed to improve services for female prisoners.

"You can't make that change without there being some women who can lead and understand and have an appreciation of what it is like to juggle all of the things that women do," she said.

"Knowing what it is like for them to cope out in the community as well."