The hearing, before Otago-Southland coroner David Crerar, had earlier heard Otago Corrections Facility intelligence officers had listened to, and recorded, telephone conversations between Jai Davis and a prisoner that made it clear he planned to take ''candy'' (slang for prescription drugs) into the prison.
Mr Davis (30) subsequently died of a drug overdose at the prison not long after he smuggled in drugs in February 2011.
Today is the third day of a hearing into the matter, which is being held at a meeting room in the Forsyth Barr Stadium, and is expected to last up to two weeks.
As the hearing continued today, a corrections officer, Steven Gillan, recalled accompanying nursing staff in a visit to Mr Davis in a ''dry'' cell at the Corrections Facility the day before he died.
Mr Gillan said Mr Davis had been sweating, and had an unhealthy grey skin colouration.
Mr Gillan believed that Mr Davis may have subsequently swallowed some drugs which he had previously concealed internally.
Nigel Hampton QC, appearing for the Howard League for Penal Reform, asked Mr Gillan if he had raised his health concerns with nursing staff.
Mr Gillan said his brief was essentially ''to be there for security'' and he was not a ''registered nurse'', but had passed on his thoughts about the health of Mr Davis to a supervisor.
Mr Davis' mother, Victoria Davis, says prison staff failed in their duty of care, and let her son die in an at-risk cell with no medical help.
She began a crusade to get what she says is justice for her son, with the inquiry the result.
Mr Davis entered the prison as a remand prisoner on February 11, and died on February 14.
