Parklea Correctional Centre: former inmate dies of Covid-19 after prison stay
A former inmate of a western Sydney correctional centre has died after contracting Covid inside the prison. See the latest.
NSW
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A coronial inquest is not expected to investigate the circumstances behind a bailed inmate’s death after he contracted Covid-19 in a Sydney prison.
A former inmate at the Covid-ravaged Parklea Correctional Centre in Sydney’s west has been reported as the first prisoner to contract Covid-19 behind bars and subsequently die.
The former Parklea inmate, who was transferred to Shortland Correctional Centre in Cessnock where he was found to be Covid-positive, died on Sunday.
He had been granted unconditional bail for medical treatment less than a month before his death.
The man, in his 60s, died at Concord Hospital after he “acquired his infection at Parklea Correctional Centre”, according to a NSW Health spokeswoman.
“He was not vaccinated and had underlying health conditions,” she said.
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However, NewsLocal understands the man tested negative before leaving the privately-run Parklea Prison last month, before returning a positive result at Shortland a short time later.
He was taken to hospital as his condition deteriorated before a Burwood Local Court magistrate approved bail on Friday, October 8.
The Daily Telegraph revealed the man was on the verge of death early last month.
Corrective Services sources said a coronial inquiry into the death wasn’t expected to be completed, as the man had died after his urgent release from custody.
However, sources told NewsLocal the death could be reviewed as part of an independent inquiry into Parklea Correctional Centre’s handling of Covid-19 — announced by Corrections Minister Anthony Roberts last month following allegations in the NSW Supreme Court.
Parklea Correctional Centre saw more than 170 inmates contract Covid-19 by September follow the NSW Delta variant outbreak.
“It concerns me it got in (to Parklea),” he said. “We want to know why it happened.”
Mr Roberts said he directed the Acting Secretary to “arrange for an independent inquiry into the management of COVID-19 at Parkway Correctional Centre”.
In a Budget Estimates Hearing on Friday, Acting Commissioner Kevin Corcoran said the man was placed on bail: “because, as I understand, he was intubated ... so there was really no need for two officers to be sitting there 24 hours a day guarding him”.
“We applied for bail and that power was granted,” he said.
Mr Roberts said terms of reference for the inquiry were to investigate the application of Covid-related policies and procedures at Parklea, to investigate the circumstances outlined in two recent legal cases related to the management of COVID risks, consider whether appropriate COVID risk management processes and health advice were followed in the two legal cases, and consider the respective roles and responsibility of Corrective Services New South Wales, the Justice and Forensic Mental Health Network, MTC-Broadspectrum and Vincent’s Hospital network in relation to those two legal cases.
Mr Roberts expressed his condolences for the family of the man, telling the Budget Estimates Hearing there had been no advice as to whether there would be a coronial inquest into the death.
Justice Health did not respond to questions before publication.
Corrective Services NSW and MTC-Broadspectrum were contacted for comment.
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