PETA has written to jails around the country asking them to introduce vegetarian menus, and offering to provide a chef to design the new meals.

People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) has written to a number of jails around Australia requesting they stop feeding meat to inmates.

The move by the animal rights group is inspired by Sheriff Joe Arpaio, in Arizona in the United States, who has done just that in order to save taxpayers' money.

PETA Australia campaign co-ordinator Claire Fryer says there are plenty of other benefits to a vegetarian diet.

"I'm sure taxpayers would be happy to know that fewer of their dollars are being spent feeding inmates," she said.

"Vegetarians are at a lower risk of cancer, heart disease, strokes, diabetes, obesity... these illnesses are very expensive to treat, so again this is a cost factor for the correctional facilities.

"We also hope that bringing in a plant-based diet will make the prisoners themselves more compassionate. If they're thinking about the animals' lives that they've saved, perhaps they'll be less prone to violence against other humans as well."

Ms Fryer says PETA will even foot the bill for a chef to design new meals for the jails that wish to introduce a vegetarian menu.

Accredited dietician Tim Stewart says although a vegetarian diet can be healthy, meat also plays an important role in nutrition.

"Having that good source of protein, having some good quality carbs, and the rest being some really good vegies on the plate, is how we would want people to eat on a day to day basis," he said.

Mr Stewart says protein from meat is much more easily absorbed than protein from vegetables or legumes.

In a statement, the Queensland Department of Justice says that prison menus are developed according to the Dieticians Association of Australia's Nutritional manual.

The department provides vegetarian or special diets for those who need them, but there are no plans to move to a vegetarian-only menu.

Cattle Council of Australia CEO Jed Matz says it sounds like an extreme measure.

"Jails are about reforming people and getting them ready to go back into society and you need to be strong in mind and body to do that and red meat's an important part of a healthy diet," he said.

"I think PETA might find that letters like that might fall on deaf ears."

Mr Matz says the Cattle Council will be writing to corrective services departments to respond to PETA's letter.