WA cracks down on jail crime

Western Australia is cracking down on corruption, organised crime and the flow of contraband into the state's jails.

A permanent taskforce will continue the work started by a lengthy police investigation into the prison system that has resulted in more than 70 people being charged with more than 100 offences, including three prison staff.

Operation Ulysses revealed drugs were a major issue in jails and some prison staff were involved in supplying contraband to inmates.

But Police Commissioner Karl O'Callaghan is confident the smuggling of drugs, SIM cards and other items can be stopped.

"We've probably, in the past, accepted it as an inevitability, but it's not inevitable and you can do a lot to harden that up and stop things from getting in," he told Fairfax Radio on Thursday.

Mr O'Callaghan said with some prison staff involved in assisting or turning a blind eye to illegal activities, he was still hoping that the Corruption and Crime Commission would take a firmer hand in investigating offenders.

"The majority of prison officers are hardworking people who go about their business, but there are some who simply shouldn't be in the system," he said.

It is understood the taskforce is jointly staffed by detectives from the organised crime squad and the Department of Corrective Services integrity unit.