A judge who considered the "appalling" conditions at an outback jail when sentencing an attempted child rapist has been invited to tour the facility with the Territory's Corrections Commissioner.

Key points: Prison conditions and sentencing criminals are two issues that should have no bearing on each other, an expert has said

Prison conditions and sentencing criminals are two issues that should have no bearing on each other, an expert has said A judge who noted concern about a jail when sentencing a criminal has been invited to tour the facility

A judge who noted concern about a jail when sentencing a criminal has been invited to tour the facility The NT Corrections Commissioner says conditions have improved at the prison recently

On Sunday the NT News reported that Justice Dean Mildren gave the Alice Springs Correctional Centre's conditions "some weight" when he sentenced a man to five years and six months in jail for three attempted child rapes dating back to the 1980s.

"The conditions are appalling, overcrowded and without any significant ventilation, more like those commonly found in Third World countries rather than in a country like Australia," Justice Mildren was reported saying.

It followed an incident in July last year when a juvenile offender who admitted to stabbing a man in the neck was released on bail by Judge Greg Smith, who said the Don Dale Youth Detention Centre was "not fit for purpose" and the boy was better off at home.

The concerning state of the Alice Springs prison made headlines recently, with inmates tear-gassed in December due to a riot sparked by the baking heat in the overcrowded cells as temperatures passed 40 degrees Celsius.

However the Alice Spring's Women's Shelter chief executive Di Gipney hit back at Justice Mildren's approach in a letter published in the NT News yesterday.

She pointed out that prison conditions and sentencing were two separate issues that should have no bearing on one another.

"The reported argument of a shorter sentence based on the conditions in the prison in which the convicted sex offender would be placed is ludicrous," Ms Gipney wrote.

"And, in this case, shows that this judge seems to be more interested in the wellbeing of convicted offenders that they are of the child/victim or other victims."

Speaking to ABC Alice Springs on Thursday, NT Corrections Commissioner Scott McNairn said he was also concerned by the judge's thinking, particularly as he believed conditions had improved dramatically since December.

"It concerns me that judges would think like that," Mr McNairn said.

"And again I would welcome that particular justice to come and visit.

"It's not my responsibility for sentences, that's the justice system. But I certainly think the comments are unbalanced."

NT Corrections Commissioner Scott McNairn says new heat mitigation strategies have recently been introduced to the prison. ( ABC News: Felicity James )

In order to ensure that a precedent was not set, Mr McNairn invited Justice Mildren to tour the facility with him.

"I'm not aware if the Justice has been in the prison or not," he said.

"I'm saying if he hasn't and he's taken this information second hand, I would like to invite him to come and visit with me and he can see for himself."

'Leading-edge' rehabilitative services

Mr McNairn said since December new mist fans had been installed, other misting systems had been placed in the courtyard, repairs had been made to the extractor fan and a crew would soon be painting the building with UV paint to reflect heat.

He said he toured the facility on Thursday and spoken at length with prisoners who "are very, very quick to tell you when something is wrong" but did not report any issues.

However when asked if he would consider installing air-conditioning, he said he believed the measures in place currently were adequate.

"We put a lot of measures in place to actually remedy some of the heat issues," he said.

"And I've had no real complaints from prisoners. And I'm open for discussion on that.

"The prison is old, it's 22 years old, and I understand that.

"But the quality services and the rehabilitative services inside the prison are actually leading-edge."

Asked whether she believed the prison should be air-conditioned, Minister for Justice Natasha Fyles said she expected the corrections department to operate within its budget.

However corrections is among three departments the NT Government will focus on to reign in chronic overspending.

Asked if it was unrealistic to be asked to rein in the department's spending given the scale of its tasks, Mr McNairn said he understood the Government's concerns and would be looking for efficiencies across the board.