A former head of Queensland's prisons system has asked the State Government to stop sending Indigenous drug offenders to jail and instead set up remote "healing centres".

The proposal led by former Queensland Corrective Services director-general Keith Hamburger would see rehabilitation and cultural facilities built in remote areas to house less serious offenders.

The centres would be staffed and run by Indigenous community members and have a focus on dealing with underlying social issues to rehabilitate people.

Mr Hamburger said many Indigenous inmates would have a better chance of fighting recidivism outside traditional jails.

"We really need to reframe the whole prison system," he said.

"Secure cell accommodation is really only needed for serious offenders who need to serve a lot of time.

"For others we need a whole different approach — we need a therapeutic community-type of approach."

The idea already has support from multiple groups across the state.

The ABC understands a funding proposal is currently being considered by the Queensland Government.

Traditional prison rehabilitation programs rarely work

Mr Hamburger said traditional rehabilitation programs in prisons rarely worked and a different approach was needed for Indigenous offenders.

He said it would also help reduce the massive costs of keeping people in prison.

"For example, when they're at the court and the judge is thinking of giving them three months or six weeks, they could send them out to these facilities where we undergo intensive drug rehabilitation, employment programs, get them ready for work, and then have a supervised option back into the community from that," he said.

"All of this would be linked to family and community strengthening.

"If corrections [authorities] take the lead in setting up facilities that are on traditional lands that focus on drug rehab, healing and other activities, then we reduce the actual number of our high cost, high secure cells.

"In my experience, probably 1,000 [Indigenous Australians] don't need to be in jail, they could be in these facilities I've described."

Mr Hamburger is a long-time public servant, who last year ran the review into the Northern Territory's Corrections system.

The Queensland Government has been contacted for comment.