AUSTRALIAN prisons are increasingly being used by gangsters, nationally and internationally, to further their illegal activities and networks.

The FBI believes Mexican drug cartels have extended their reach into Australia and would use our prison system to further criminal associations.

"The Mexican gangs' influence is far and wide and no doubt would have infiltrated Australia," FBI Special Agent Herb Brown said.

"They use any means to further criminal activity, including social networks and prisons internationally."

The Australian Crime Commission has brought members of the FBI, the UK's Serious Organised Crime Agency and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police to Australia for a conference to discuss ways of fighting the growth of crime and gangs within prisons.

The ACC believes a national approach to gathering and sharing criminal intelligence is needed.





"At present there is not a Commonwealth body which oversees the prison system. We know from our own intelligence that prison walls are not a deterrent for hardened criminals to continue their illegal enterprises," ACC chief executive John Lawler said.

Mr Lawler said prisons were obvious places for criminals to make contacts and a national strategy was needed to gather and disseminate intelligence from jails across the country.

Tomorrow the ACC will host an international forum in Canberra on challenges faced by authorities in monitoring criminals inside jail.

"We have seen trends overseas and know from cases here and our intelligence that criminal networks continue to exist within prison. Being incarcerated is not a deterrent to continue criminal behaviour," Mr Lawler said.

"Prisoners make associations which will perpetuate their criminality and help them extend it beyond the correction systems."

Mr Lawler said an ACC officer was already attached to Corrective Services NSW: "We are working with Commissioner Ron Woodham towards a memorandum of understanding between the two organisations."