Coroner urges funding for WA prison risks

Insufficient funding is hindering efforts to secure West Australian prison cells so inmates can't hang themselves, the coroner says.

Peter Phillip Humes, 38, was found suspended from the window bars in his cell at Hakea remand prison early on November 24, 2010.

WA Coroner Sarah Linton found that although Humes had experienced some troubles in his life, he never gave any indication that he was likely to take his own life.

And there was no known catalyst that prompted him to do so.

Ms Linton said while Humes was not referred to the prison's at risk management system, it would not have necessarily prevented his death.

But it was concerning that Humes had been placed in a cell with accessible window bars, which were identified as obvious hanging points in at least one previous inquest dating back to February 2004.

At the time, the state coroner had recommended that the Department of Corrective Services take immediate action to review the cells in various WA prisons to identify and minimise such hanging points, Ms Linton said.

Yet six year later, those steps were still at such an early stage that they allowed prisoners to be housed in cells like Humes's.

Since Humes's death, the Department of Corrective Services has given considerable attention to reducing hanging points in prison cells within its limited funding, Ms Linton said.

The coroner said following the inquest hearing, the Department had inspected all cell windows at Hakea and found only one that allowed access to the grille bars outside.

Work to install mesh to the bars of that window was scheduled to be completed by September 4.

Ms Linton said several apparent inmate suicides committed before and after Humes's death - a number of which occurred in cells that had the three most obvious hanging points removed - showed people were adaptable when those points were not available.

But that should not detract from the fact that obvious hanging points, such as the ones available in Humes's case, should not be present.

Ms Linton said she hoped Treasury would prioritise funding the Department's ligature minimisation program to prevent further deaths of that kind in the future.

* Readers seeking support and information about suicide prevention can contact Lifeline on 13 11 14.