Coroner finds serious failures after death at Junee jail

Key points

• A NSW coroner has found serious failures in mental health services at Junee Correctional Centre before a prisoner died by suicide in February 2023. Alexander Gavranic, 40, waited at least 305 days for an assessment, far beyond the three-month maximum for his referral.
• Deputy State Coroner Derek Lee found the delay likely caused distress and deterioration, but could not establish that earlier treatment would have changed the outcome.
• The inquest heard two mental health nurses were serving a prison population of up to 1,000, and Lee made two recommendations, including better documentation of prisoners' requests.