Inmate found dead days before parole hearing at Cooma prison

Benjamin Charles Jones, 49, was found dead in a cell at Cooma Correctional Centre on 30 October, days before a scheduled parole hearing. Authorities say no other person was involved, and Corrective Services NSW and police are investigating; the death will also be examined through a compulsory public inquiry.

Jones was serving a sentence of three years and four months for stalking and sexually assaulting a tourist in Sydney in 2024, and had become eligible for parole from 21 November. The hearing had been set for 12 November. Jones had previous convictions in Australia and Germany, and spent almost two years in protective isolation after reported threats from other inmates.