Source · Deaths in custody

PPO Fatal Incident Reports

6,563 incidents 5,801 published 1,698 recommendations 1,676 self-inflicted 3,427 natural causes

Deaths in custody investigated by the Prisons and Probation Ombudsman. Among the incidents indexed here, 26% are recorded as self-inflicted. Source: PPO.

Incidents

126 records

Sean Williams

Natural causesInvestigation: Report published3 recommendations indexed

PPO entry published 13 March 2026

Arron Hamer

HMP Buckley Hall

Self-inflictedInvestigation: Report published4 recommendations indexed

PPO entry published 26 June 2026

Patryk Jalocha

HMP Manchester

Self-inflictedInvestigation: Report published2 recommendations indexed

PPO entry published 9 June 2026

Malcolm MacDougal

HMP Full Sutton

Other non-naturalInvestigation: Report published3 recommendations indexed

PPO entry published 24 July 2026

Brian Holland

HMP Liverpool

Natural causesInvestigation: Report published1 recommendation indexed

PPO entry published 24 July 2026

Paul Deville

HMP Manchester

Natural causesInvestigation: Report published2 recommendations indexed

PPO entry published 25 February 2026

Jeffrey Long

HMP/YOI Moorland

Natural causesInvestigation: Report published11 recommendations indexed

PPO entry published 14 August 2026

Charles Stevens

HMP Swaleside

Other non-naturalInvestigation: Report published2 recommendations indexed

PPO entry published 24 June 2026

John Phillips

HMP Dartmoor

Self-inflictedInvestigation: Report published2 recommendations indexed

PPO entry published 17 July 2026

Taylor Atkinson

HMP/YOI Eastwood Park

Self-inflictedInvestigation: Report published6 recommendations indexed

PPO entry published 29 May 2026

Michael Marsh

HMP Exeter

Self-inflictedInvestigation: Report published6 recommendations indexed

PPO entry published 28 May 2026

Mark Bradley

HMP Stafford

Self-inflictedInvestigation: Report published2 recommendations indexed

PPO entry published 26 June 2026

Michael Quinn

HMP Berwyn

Natural causesInvestigation: Report published6 recommendations indexed

PPO entry published 7 July 2026

Clare Dupree

HMP/YOI Eastwood Park

Other non-naturalInvestigation: Report published2 recommendations indexed

PPO entry published 22 July 2026

Dylan Woodhead

HMP Hindley

Self-inflictedInvestigation: Report published4 recommendations indexed

PPO entry published 14 August 2026

Lee Hopkinson

HMP Manchester

Self-inflictedInvestigation: Report published3 recommendations indexed

PPO entry published 12 August 2026

Gary Davies

HMP Leeds

Self-inflictedInvestigation: Report published3 recommendations indexed

PPO entry published 12 August 2026

Christopher Walton

HMP RanbyDate of death 6 February 2025

Natural causesInvestigation: Report published7 recommendations indexed

PPO entry published 9 January 2026

Stephen Blackwell

HMP OakwoodDate of death 18 January 2025

Natural causesInvestigation: Report published1 recommendation indexed

PPO entry published 3 September 2025

Ming Jiang

HMP SwalesideDate of death 21 July 2024

Natural causesInvestigation: Report published4 recommendations indexed

PPO entry published 21 March 2025

Peter Honnor

HMP WandsworthDate of death 27 June 2024

Natural causesInvestigation: Report published4 recommendations indexed

PPO entry published 24 November 2025

David Baxter

HMP WealstunDate of death 26 May 2024

Natural causesInvestigation: Report published5 recommendations indexed

PPO entry published 5 February 2025

David Maggs

HMP/YOI ParcDate of death 7 May 2024

Natural causesInvestigation: Report published1 recommendation indexed

PPO entry published 24 October 2025

Rana Khan

HMP WandsworthDate of death 5 April 2024

Natural causesInvestigation: Report published4 recommendations indexed

PPO entry published 10 October 2025

Stephen Smith

HMP LiverpoolDate of death 24 March 2024

Natural causesInvestigation: Report published2 recommendations indexed

PPO entry published 22 July 2025

Kevin Noel

HMP LeyhillDate of death 18 January 2024

Natural causesInvestigation: Report published2 recommendations indexed

PPO entry published 27 September 2024

John Kelk

HMP WakefieldDate of death 30 December 2023

Natural causesInvestigation: Report published2 recommendations indexed

PPO entry published 22 July 2024

Jamie Funnell

HMP LewesDate of death 16 December 2023

Other non-naturalInvestigation: Report published3 recommendations indexed

PPO entry published 17 October 2025

Melvin Grant

HMP BedfordDate of death 21 November 2023

Self-inflictedInvestigation: Report published3 recommendations indexed

PPO entry published 28 October 2025

Simon Faherty

HMP ElmleyDate of death 20 November 2023

Self-inflictedInvestigation: Report published4 recommendations indexed

PPO entry published 4 April 2025

Josh Tarrant

HMP ElmleyDate of death 1 November 2023

Other non-naturalInvestigation: Report published2 recommendations indexed

PPO entry published 9 January 2026

Steven Lee

HMP PrestonDate of death 19 October 2023

Natural causesInvestigation: Report published2 recommendations indexed

PPO entry published 27 June 2025

Davina Canning

HMP HewellDate of death 29 July 2023

Self-inflictedInvestigation: Report published3 recommendations indexed

PPO entry published 25 April 2025

Rajwinder Singh

HMP WandsworthDate of death 25 June 2023

Self-inflictedInvestigation: Report published6 recommendations indexed

PPO entry published 8 August 2025

Glody Muyeki

HMP AylesburyDate of death 15 May 2023

Other non-naturalInvestigation: Report published2 recommendations indexed

PPO entry published 21 February 2025

Malcolm Vickery

HMP/YOI ParcDate of death 11 March 2023

Natural causesInvestigation: Report published1 recommendation indexed

PPO entry published 13 March 2025

Anthony Binfield

HMP Lowdham GrangeDate of death 6 March 2023

Self-inflictedInvestigation: Report published4 recommendations indexed

PPO entry published 7 February 2025

Christopher Corkill

Isle of ManDate of death 24 February 2023

Self-inflictedInvestigation: Report published15 recommendations indexed

PPO entry published 25 July 2024

Hodge, Lawrence

HMP Holme HouseDate of death 4 February 2023

Natural causesInvestigation: Report published1 recommendation indexed

PPO entry published 26 March 2024

Andrew Hadwin

HMP DurhamDate of death 2 February 2023

Natural causesInvestigation: Report published4 recommendations indexed

PPO entry published 4 July 2025

Roy King

HMP LittleheyDate of death 30 January 2023

Self-inflictedInvestigation: Report published5 recommendations indexed

PPO entry published 11 April 2025

Ian Deavall

HMP Forest BankDate of death 24 January 2023

Natural causesInvestigation: Report published3 recommendations indexed

PPO entry published 20 September 2024

Ian Wadsworth

Elm Bank Approved PremisesDate of death 21 January 2023

Other non-naturalInvestigation: Report published2 recommendations indexed

PPO entry published 18 July 2025

Ross Appleby

HMP/YOI ParcDate of death 18 January 2023

Other non-naturalInvestigation: Report published1 recommendation indexed

PPO entry published 17 October 2025

Paul Paget

HMP SwalesideDate of death 17 January 2023

Natural causesInvestigation: Report published3 recommendations indexed

PPO entry published 6 December 2024

Mark Mason

HMP DurhamDate of death 8 December 2022

Self-inflictedInvestigation: Report published2 recommendations indexed

PPO entry published 3 October 2025

Anderson, Craig

Isle of Man PrisonDate of death 25 November 2022

Self-inflictedInvestigation: Report published15 recommendations indexed

PPO entry published 29 April 2024

Curtis Cadman

HMP LincolnDate of death 21 November 2022

Natural causesInvestigation: Report published2 recommendations indexed

PPO entry published 30 August 2024

Stefan Slack

HMP Five WellsDate of death 20 November 2022

Natural causesInvestigation: Report published5 recommendations indexed

PPO entry published 14 October 2026

Aaron Harte

HMP PeterboroughDate of death 3 November 2022

Other non-naturalInvestigation: Report published4 recommendations indexed

PPO entry published 19 September 2025

Learning & thematic publications

112 cross-establishment publications

Learning Lessons Bulletins (50), thematic reviews (2), consultation responses (11), Policy into Practice (5), annual reports (7) and FOI responses from the Ombudsman's disclosure log (37): the systemic patterns the Ombudsman draws from many investigations.

TitleTypeDateSource
The number of complaints received by the PPO from 1 January 2023 onwards by people held in immigration removal centres and in short-term holding facilities FOI response Jul 2026 PDF
Annual Report 2025 to 2026 Annual report Jul 2026 PDF
To provide information on prisons in the United Kingdom with forty or more self-inflicted deaths in the last ten years, alongside their total FOI response Jul 2026 PDF
The three English prisons with the highest number of self-inflicted deaths between 2016 to 2026 (excluding HMP Leeds), with annual breakdowns FOI response Jul 2026 PDF
The total number of prison deaths that occurred while the individual was located in a segregation unit per calendar from 2021 to 2025 FOI response Jul 2026 PDF
The number of drug-related deaths in prisons in England and Wales from 2010 to 2025 FOI response Jul 2026 PDF
A breakdown of the epilepsy deaths in Welsh prisons from the PPO’s Learning Lessons Bulletin on epilepsy deaths FOI response Jul 2026 PDF
The number of people held in prison, either serving a sentence or on remand, who have died by suicide between 2016 to 2026, broken down by each prison in Yorkshire FOI response Jul 2026 PDF
PPO response to JSC Inquiry into Children and Young Adults in the Secure Estate  Consultation response Jun 2026 PDF
The number of upheld complaints made to the Prisons and Probation Ombudsman (PPO) about accommodation from 2024 to 2025. FOI response Apr 2026 PDF
Fatal Incident Investigations Learning Lessons Bulletin Issue 21: Segregation Learning Lessons Bulletin Mar 2026 PDF
Fatal Incident Investigations Learning Lessons Bulletin Issue 22: Self-inflicted deaths in reception prisons Learning Lessons Bulletin Mar 2026 PDF
HMP Elmley prisoner deaths by year from 2010 to 2025 FOI response Feb 2026 PDF
Complaints to the PPO about inadequate access to sanitary products since 2020 FOI response Feb 2026 PDF
The number of health-related deaths in prison FOI response Feb 2026 PDF
How many complaints did IPCI receive from prisoners during 2024? FOI response Feb 2026 PDF
How many complaints has the PPO received regarding lost property by HMP Peterborough FOI response Feb 2026 PDF
Fatal Incident Investigations Learning Lessons Bulletin Issue 20: Epilepsy Learning Lessons Bulletin Nov 2025 PDF
Annual Report 2024 to 2025 Annual report Jul 2025 PDF
The number of deaths linked to drug taking in prisons in England and Wales between 2020 to 2024 FOI response Jun 2025 PDF
How many prisoner deaths has the PPO been notified of each year, or started investigating, where there is a suspicion the death was drug-related? FOI response Jun 2025 PDF
The number of prisoners who died where no care plan was in place as found in PPO fatal incident investigations (1 February 2023 to 16 September 2023) FOI response Jun 2025 PDF
Provide a list of deaths by suicide in English prisons since 2022 FOI response Jun 2025 PDF
The PPO response time for all cases in last three and current financial year FOI response Jun 2025 PDF
The number of self-inflicted deaths recorded in prisons from 2019 to 2024 FOI response Jun 2025 PDF
The number of individuals in prisons, young offender institutions and approved premises in England and Wales and/or within 14 days of being released from prison were at the time of their deaths subject to an IPP FOI response Jun 2025 PDF
To confirm when the Prisons and Probation Ombudsman’s (PPO) Yarl’s Wood special investigation report was completed FOI response Jun 2025 PDF
To provide the total number of Prevention of Future Deaths (PFDs or Regulation 28 letters) FOI response Jun 2025 PDF
Policy into Practice: Handling of prisoners’ property Policy into Practice Mar 2025 PDF
Policy into Practice: Handling of property complaints Policy into Practice Mar 2025 PDF