Inquest into the death of PE

Contributing factors

• Lack of contact with wife due to delayed phone account activation
• Restrictive telephone policies for remand inmates
• Transition to custody for first time with serious criminal charges pending
• Presence of multiple hanging points in cell
• Sudden separation from supportive family relationships

Coroner's recommendations

1. CSNSW is to review COPP 8.2 Inmate Telephones and related phone policies and procedures to consider increasing access to personal telephone calls for unsentenced inmates to either an Australian mobile phone number or landline number (local or national). The review will include consideration of the following initiatives: (a) Immediate renegotiation of call rates to reduce landline and mobile call charge rates for inmates; (b) A centralised processing model for phone numbers and phone money at large remand centres to expedite the activation of inmates' OTS accounts; and (c) Automatic phone account credit for inmates on reception to ensure calls are automatically available upon entry into custody.
2. CSNSW is to review their phone policies for inmates in the context of the steady decline of landline usage and ownership in Australia. In particular, the feasibility of offering an increased number of free or reduced rate calls to mobile numbers and landlines to all inmates should be investigated and consideration be given to implementation.