Caleb Moefa'auo. Photo: RNZ/Felix Walton
Mt Eden prison was under significant pressure at the time Caleb Moefa'auo died in custody, a court has heard.
Caleb Moefa'auo, 26, died in 2022 after suffering a cardiac arrest shortly after being pepper-sprayed by an officer.
Phase two of the inquest into his death began in the Auckland District Court on Monday.
It will focus on the circumstances of his death, how his mental health contributed to what happened and whether the officers involved adequately took this into account.
The inquest began with a prayer from Moefa'auo's grandfather, as well as opening comments from his mother, Justine Lauese.
She said the family was seeking clarity about the circumstances and choices that led to Moefa'auo's death.
The Coroner then heard from a corrections staff member who cannot be named.
They said the prison had been under significant pressure at the time Moefa'auo was moved, including short staffing and Covid-19 restrictions.
"At the time of Caleb's death, (Mt Eden Prison) was experiencing significant staffing and procedural challenges, compounded by the pressures of operating under stringent Covid-19 protocols," they said.
"Access to the (Intervention Support Unit) by external professionals was also restricted to minimize the risk of Covid-19 transmission within the wider prison population."
The staff member said those constraints were particularly acute in the context of Mt Eden's role as a remand facility.
"The high turn over and complex needs of the remand population placed additional strain on staff and systems, making it increasingly difficult to maintain consistent oversight and therapeutic support."
Prisoners in the ISU were not allowed to take towels into their cells, as it posed a risk to themselves, they said.
"One towel is provided for showering, and can be replaced if required for drying, but must be returned immediately after use, prior to individuals returning to their cell." they said.
They said several reviews had been initiated in the wake of Moefa'auo's death, and that lessons had been learned.
These included monthly training, informed by identified gaps across the site, continued reinforcement of best practice, and including health as a priority, as well as additional training for staff to stop and check on prisoner welfare when using force.
The Corrections staff member was questioned by the lawyer representing the officer acquitted of assaulting Moefa'auo, Lily Nunweek, who raised concerns about the level of experience of those involved.
That question was not answered, however, with Correction's lawyer suggesting it was better directed at the staff themselves.
Under later cross-examination from counsel assisting the Coroner, Rebekah Jordan, the staff member admitted officers in the ISU needed more support.
"All the staff in there have a focus to support the men in that unit, and they do a really, really good job," the staff member said.
"Do they have the right training for being in there? No, we don't give them psychological training [...] in my opinion no, we don't give them enough training.
"Even now. The training that we sourced for them was done off our own back."
The Corrections staff member told Coroner McKenzie they wanted to see specialist training from staff, including understanding mental health triggers.
"They're not psychologists, they've never trained to be psychologists, and, for me, Mt Eden holds a lot of complex prisoners, with a lot of mental health - I don't like saying issues - with a lot of mental health, really, prisoners that have got a lot of mental health stuff going on," they said.
"And it's becoming more and more common that we're finding prisoners coming into the system now that are diagnosed more with mental health illnesses, and I'd like to see more training in that area for the staff."
The inquest continues.
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