Police, Corrective Services investigate death of Parklea Correctional Centre inmate, 29

Police are investigating the circumstances surrounding the death of a 29-year-old inmate found unresponsive in his cell inside Parklea jail.

Police and Corrective Services are working to determine the cause of death of a 29-year-old man, who was found unresponsive in his cell at Parklea Correctional Centre on Wednesday morning.

Parklea Correctional Centre. Picture: CSNSW

Correctives sources said officers found the man — who was being housed in the minimum security section of the privately-run centre — unresponsive in his cell before performing CPR in an effort to resuscitate him.

“Unfortunately this is not a rare occurrence in this facility,” the source said. “We see incidents like this far too often.”

Cells at Parklea Correctional Centre. Picture: CSNSW

Another officer said the inmate was overheard in a “heated argument” just days before he was found dead.

An MTC-Broadspectrum spokeswoman confirmed the 29-year-old was found unresponsive in his cell at 7.15am on August 11 and pronounced dead at 7.41am

“Corrective Services NSW and NSW Police are investigating the incident,” the spokeswoman said. “All deaths in custody are subject to a coronial inquest.”

Prisoners rioting on the roof of Parklea Correctional Centre in July. Picture: 7 News via NCA NewsWire

The latest death in custody at Parklea comes just weeks after the prison was locked down and a specialist task force brought in to quell rioters who torched cells and “hunted for rooftop drugs” on July 12.

NSW Police charged four inmates, aged 20, 23 and two aged 22, with riot offences following the incident.