A violent sex offender who killed outback nurse Gayle Woodford in remote South Australia was granted parole before he went on to commit the crime, despite authorities feeling he was too dangerous, an inquest has heard.

Key points: Dudley Davey was jailed for life with a 32-year non-parole period

Dudley Davey was jailed for life with a 32-year non-parole period A coronial inquest today heard Davey was released on parole prior to the murder

A coronial inquest today heard Davey was released on parole prior to the murder Authorities had shared concerns that he was at a high-risk of violent sexual reoffending

A coronial inquest into the abduction, rape and murder of Ms Woodford has heard authorities knew the man who killed her was at risk of reoffending.

The 56-year-old mother was employed by the Nganampa Health Council (NHC) and worked in the small community of Fregon in the APY Lands when she was murdered by convicted rapist Dudley Davey in March 2016.

Davey was sentenced to life in prison with a non-parole period of 32 years in 2017.

On Tuesday, Jane Farrin, director of the Sentence Management Unit at the Department for Correctional Services, told the inquest her department recommended Davey not be released on parole before Ms Woodford's murder.

Gayle and her husband Keith Woodford before her murder in 2016. ( Supplied: Keith Woodford )

Under questioning by lawyer Mark Roberts, Ms Farrin agreed that Davey had been determined to be at high risk of violent sexual reoffending by assessment teams during his time in prison.

The court heard there was a series of delays and challenges in assessing Davey, including his evaluation as part of the violent sexual offender process.

"There was an attempt to review him but he fell asleep during the process," Ms Farrin said.

Ms Farrin told the court Davey was eligible for two offender rehabilitation programs but was deemed unsuitable due to his literary and English skills.

"There were in-built deficiencies and inefficiencies in the process [prisoner assessment] during that time … it now responds to people with low literacy with education programs," she said.

Ms Farrin took over the Sentence Management Unit in 2015 after Davey's release and told the coroner that assessment programs for violent and sexual offenders had now been streamlined "so they are all performed at the start of an offender's sentence".

Police station to be built in Fregon

Despite concerns of a low police presence, Chief Superintendent Dean Miller yesterday told the coroner he could not agree that having a police officer on every corner would enhance community safety in Fregon.

Mrs Woodford's killer stole the ambulance she was driving, which was later intercepted by police. ( Supplied: SA Police )

"Police is a part of a big jigsaw … there are other agencies that need to be involved such as health providers and educators," he said.

The coroner heard a small police office would be built this year, but there would not be permanent police officers present and offenders that need to be detained would be taken to another station.

This comes after former traditional community officer Carl Roberts told the coroner last week that a permanent police presence would improve safety conditions for women and children.

Since 2013, South Australian Police has been able to employ up to 10 traditional community constables.

However, due to the challenges of recruiting local community members, there are only four currently employed.

"We have over many years tried many different strategies to fill those positions … we work very closely with the elders to try and identify individuals who would work with as a traditional community constable," Chief Superintendent Miller said.

Gayle Woodford (left) with her colleagues in Fregon, Belinda Schultz and Glynis Johns. ( Supplied )

"We have implemented a number of strategies including an Aboriginal liaison officer, we offer them three months, they don't have policing powers … but a number of these have moved through to be community constables and done very well.

"The other thing is we've talked to the community and those community constables, one of their concerns is the structure of policing such as starting at 7:00am … we are looking at a more flexible approach.

"The commissioner is keen to relax some of the probative elements … we are working with TAFE to identify a program that can be totally done on the [APY] Lands."

Aboriginal elder calls for permanent police presence

The inquest also heard from a senior Aboriginal elder, who called for a permanent police presence in small communities across the APY Lands.

John Singer, an elder and executive director of the NHC, told the inquest there was often violence in Fregon and, around the time of Mrs Woodford's death, there was frequently no elders or avenues for health workers to air their concerns.

He told the court there used to be Aboriginal health workers who went out with nurses on call but that had stopped before Mrs Woodford's murder.

The measure has since been reintroduced following her death.

Counsel assisting the coroner, Ahura Kalali, referenced previous evidence from former GP Glynis Johns that there was no way for doctors to speak to the council or respected elders in the community to try and deal with any issues between 2014 and 2015.

Mr Singer gave further testimony that senior people in the community also believed dangerous individuals, such as Davey, should not be released back into the APY Lands.

The inquest continues.