Victorian Ombudsman Deborah Glass is reminded every time she walks into her Melbourne offices of her recommendation three years ago to allow prisoners to sell their artwork for profit.

She is surrounded by the art of inmates.

"I chose that one. I knew it would look really good here. It's such a vibrant work of art. You think about these were done in prison. It is remarkable," she said.

Indigenous prison art sold by a program run in jails called The Torch earned $280,000 for prisoners and ex-prisoners last year.

All of the proceeds are held in a trust by the prison before being released to the artists when they get out of jail.

Robby Wirramanda was one of the first inmates to take part in the The Torch program. ( ABC News: Cheryl Hall )

This year is expected to be even more profitable with more than 200 art works on display at three art galleries in St Kilda.

Former inmate Robby Wirramanda grew up in north-western Victoria's Mallee district and has just sold one of his paintings for $6,000.

"Art for me in prison was really just getting back to my country, Lake Tyrrell. All the series I painted inside reminded me of the country I grew up on, hunted on, camped on," he said.

"When you're painting, you're painting those stories. You can't help but be back there.

"Me and my grandmother … I remember doing art with her when I was a little fella in Chinkapook off Lake Tyrell.

"I find myself back in that place in the same shed, still creating art with others I help though this program. It's a great place to be."

A clearly successful program

Mr Wirramanda is the first person from The Torch's Indigenous Arts in Prison and Community program to be employed to help others to stay out of jail.

"I couldn't say no to that. To be able to do something I love anyway, talking to other brothers and sisters either giving them inspiration, taking them out bush, dropping them off … [it's a] great job, [a] great place to be," he said.

Ms Glass was carrying out an investigation into the rehabilitation of prisoners in 2015 and learned about The Torch's art program.

"The dragonfly represents rebirth. This symbol has been very good to me," artist Robby Wirramanda said. ( ABC News: Cheryl Hall )

She said it was clearly a successful program but the prisoners could not benefit because they could not sell their art while incarcerated.

"Wouldn't it be good if they could use the proceeds of that art work to support their rehabilitation. I thought it was a pretty compelling argument," she said.

"It was actually one of the few recommendations which was accepted without a murmur."

Ms Glass said it coincided with moving into new offices.

"We needed a modest amount of artwork to adorn our new premises. So we bought that from the Torch. We heard soon afterwards some very moving stories."

Good return on investment

The Torch's CEO Kent Morris said the rate of reoffending was high and one of the biggest problems for prisoners when they were released is homelessness.

He said artist Ray Traplin was an example of someone who had turned his life around by selling his paintings.

Ray Traplin with this artwork, which The Torch's CEO Kent Morris said the artist sold to support himself. ( Supplied: James HH Morgan )

"The reaction to them was so extraordinary," Mr Morris said.

"He was able to not come out of prison into the situation he was in previously, which was nowhere to live, nowhere to go.

"Accommodation can be very hard for Indigenous men and women coming out of prison.

"He was able to sell works, find accommodation and now he supports himself through his art."

Ms Glass said anything that encouraged rehabilitation of prisoners was a good return on investment.

"When you think about what it costs society when somebody comes out of prison without support, commits crime and goes back in again — [it's] over a billion dollars a year," she said.

"If we can invest some portion of that into the sort of programs that prevent reoffending how much better off are we."

The exhibitions are showing on at the Carlisle Street Arts Space, the Eildon Gallery and The Torch gallery.