Source · Deaths in custody
PPO Fatal Incident Reports
6,395 incidents
5,660 published
1,165 recommendations
1,632 self-inflicted
3,362 natural causes
Deaths in custody investigated by the Prisons and Probation Ombudsman. 26% of deaths are self-inflicted. Source: PPO.
Top recommendation themes
Learning & thematic publications
| Title | Type | Date | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| PPO response to JSC Inquiry into Children and Young Adults in the Secure Estate | Consultation response | Jun 2026 | |
| Fatal Incident Investigations Learning Lessons Bulletin Issue 21: Segregation | Learning Lessons Bulletin | Mar 2026 | |
| Fatal Incident Investigations Learning Lessons Bulletin Issue 22: Self-inflicted deaths in reception prisons | Learning Lessons Bulletin | Mar 2026 | |
| Fatal Incident Investigations Learning Lessons Bulletin Issue 20: Epilepsy | Learning Lessons Bulletin | Nov 2025 | |
| Annual Report 2024 to 2025 | Annual report | Jul 2025 | |
| Policy into Practice: Handling of prisoners’ property | Policy into Practice | Mar 2025 | |
| Policy into Practice: Handling of property complaints | Policy into Practice | Mar 2025 | |
| Complaints Investigations Learning Lessons Bulletin Issue 11: Property complaints | Learning Lessons Bulletin | Mar 2025 | |
| PPO response to JSC Tackling Drugs in Prison Inquiry | Consultation response | Feb 2025 | |
| PPO response to JHAC Inquiry into Prison Culture | Consultation response | Feb 2025 | |
| PPO response to JSC inquiry into Rehabilitation and Resettlement | Consultation response | Feb 2025 | |
| Policy into Practice: Emergency Response | Policy into Practice | Jan 2025 | |
| PPO response to the Independent Sentencing Review 2024/25 call for evidence | Consultation response | Jan 2025 | |
| Fatal Incident Investigations Learning Lessons Bulletin Issue 19: Post-release death investigations 2 | Learning Lessons Bulletin | Jul 2024 | |
| Annual Report 2023-24 | Annual report | Jul 2024 | |
| Annual report 2022-23 | Annual report | Jul 2024 | |
| Policy into practice: Use of force | Policy into Practice | Feb 2024 | |
| PPO response to the inquiry into prison population and capacity | Consultation response | Nov 2023 | |
| Fatal Incident Investigations Learning Lessons Bulletin Issue 18: Self-inflicted deaths of IPP prisoners | Learning Lessons Bulletin | Sep 2023 | |
| Investigating deaths after release from prison – a pilot evaluation | Learning Lessons Bulletin | Jan 2023 | |
| Fatal Incident Investigations Learning Lessons Bulletin Issue 17: Post-release death investigations | Learning Lessons Bulletin | Jan 2023 | |
| PPO response to the inquiry into the Prison Operational Workforce | Consultation response | Jan 2023 | |
| Annual Report 2021-22 | Annual report | Oct 2022 | |
| Policy into Practice: Use of restraints on escort | Policy into Practice | Sep 2022 | |
| PPO Response to the Inquiry into IPP sentences | Consultation response | Jan 2022 | |
| Fatal Incident Investigations Learning Lessons Bulletin Issue 16: Second wave COVID-19 related deaths | Learning Lessons Bulletin | Dec 2021 | |
| Annual Report 2020-21 | Annual report | Sep 2021 | |
| PPO responses to the Inquiry into Women in Prison | Consultation response | Aug 2021 | |
| Fatal Incident Investigations Learning Lessons Bulletin Issue 15: COVID-19 PPO fatal incident investigations | Learning Lessons Bulletin | Feb 2021 | |
| Complaints Investigations Learning Lessons Bulletin Issue 10: COVID-19 PPO Complaints | Learning Lessons Bulletin | Dec 2020 |
Incidents
| Name | Establishment | Cause | Status | Date of death | Recs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Christopher Walton | HMP Ranby | Natural | Published | 6 Feb 2025 | 7 |
| Stephen Blackwell | HMP Oakwood | Natural | Published | 18 Jan 2025 | 1 |
| Ming Jiang | HMP Swaleside | Natural | Published | 21 Jul 2024 | 4 |
| Peter Honnor | HMP Wandsworth | Natural | Published | 27 Jun 2024 | 4 |
| David Baxter | HMP Wealstun | Natural | Published | 26 May 2024 | 5 |
| David Maggs | HMP/YOI Parc | Natural | Published | 7 May 2024 | 1 |
| Rana Khan | HMP Wandsworth | Natural | Published | 5 Apr 2024 | 4 |
| Stephen Smith | HMP Liverpool | Natural | Published | 24 Mar 2024 | 2 |
| Kevin Noel | HMP Leyhill | Natural | Published | 18 Jan 2024 | 2 |
| John Kelk | HMP Wakefield | Natural | Published | 30 Dec 2023 | 2 |
| Jamie Funnell | HMP Lewes | Other | Published | 16 Dec 2023 | 3 |
| Melvin Grant | HMP Bedford | Self-inflicted | Published | 21 Nov 2023 | 3 |
| Simon Faherty | HMP Elmley | Self-inflicted | Published | 20 Nov 2023 | 4 |
| Josh Tarrant | HMP Elmley | Other | Published | 1 Nov 2023 | 2 |
| Steven Lee | HMP Preston | Natural | Published | 19 Oct 2023 | 2 |
| Davina Canning | HMP Hewell | Self-inflicted | Published | 29 Jul 2023 | 3 |
| Rajwinder Singh | HMP Wandsworth | Self-inflicted | Published | 25 Jun 2023 | 6 |
| Glody Muyeki | HMP Aylesbury | Other | Published | 15 May 2023 | 2 |
| Malcolm Vickery | HMP/YOI Parc | Natural | Published | 11 Mar 2023 | 1 |
| Anthony Binfield | HMP Lowdham Grange | Self-inflicted | Published | 6 Mar 2023 | 4 |
| Christopher Corkill | Isle of Man | Self-inflicted | Published | 24 Feb 2023 | 15 |
| Andrew Hadwin | HMP Durham | Natural | Published | 2 Feb 2023 | 4 |
| Roy King | HMP Littlehey | Self-inflicted | Published | 30 Jan 2023 | 5 |
| Ian Deavall | HMP Forest Bank | Natural | Published | 24 Jan 2023 | 3 |
| Ian Wadsworth | Elm Bank Approved Premises | Other | Published | 21 Jan 2023 | 2 |
| Ross Appleby | HMP/YOI Parc | Other | Published | 18 Jan 2023 | 1 |
| Paul Paget | HMP Swaleside | Natural | Published | 17 Jan 2023 | 3 |
| Mark Mason | HMP Durham | Self-inflicted | Published | 8 Dec 2022 | 2 |
| Curtis Cadman | HMP Lincoln | Natural | Published | 21 Nov 2022 | 2 |
| Aaron Harte | HMP Peterborough | Other | Published | 3 Nov 2022 | 4 |
| John Warry | HMP Stafford | Natural | Published | 25 Sep 2022 | 10 |
| Dale Samm | HMP The Mount | Self-inflicted | Published | 25 Sep 2022 | 2 |
| Terrance Dass | HMP Littlehey | Natural | Published | 20 Sep 2022 | 1 |
| Anthony O’Connell | HMP Swaleside | Self-inflicted | Published | 18 Sep 2022 | 9 |
| Thomas Oleisky | HMP Wealstun | Self-inflicted | Published | 11 Sep 2022 | 5 |
| Steven Haldane | HMP Stafford | Natural | Published | 29 Aug 2022 | 2 |
| Sebastian Mularz | HMP Hull | Natural | Published | 17 Aug 2022 | 6 |
| John Reid | HMP Winchester | Natural | Published | 10 Aug 2022 | 5 |
| Max Marchant | HMP The Mount | Other | Published | 25 Jul 2022 | 13 |
| Tyrone Beresford | HMP The Mount | Other | Published | 14 Jul 2022 | 7 |
| Kayleigh Melhuish | HMP/YOI Eastwood Park | Self-inflicted | Published | 7 Jul 2022 | 8 |
| Lee Scott | HMP Humber | Self-inflicted | Published | 14 Jun 2022 | 4 |
| Isaac Ayeni | HMP Aylesbury | Other | Published | 16 May 2022 | 2 |
| Thomas Simmons | HMP Humber | Natural | Published | 20 Apr 2022 | 3 |
| James Bailey | HMP The Mount | Self-inflicted | Published | 1 Mar 2022 | 6 |
| Craig Steadman | HMP Winchester | Self-inflicted | Published | 27 Feb 2022 | 5 |
| Michael Grimes | HMP Isle of Wight | Natural | Published | 26 Feb 2022 | 1 |
| John O’Driscoll | HMP Cardiff | Self-inflicted | Published | 29 Dec 2021 | 2 |
| Ian Davies | HMP Bristol | Self-inflicted | Published | 6 Dec 2021 | 7 |
| Liam Turner | HMP Manchester | Other | Published | 6 Dec 2021 | 2 |
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