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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nigel Malt | HMP Gartree | Natural | Published | 29 Apr 2025 | 1 |
| Peter Long | HMP Oakwood | Natural | Published | 10 Mar 2025 | 1 |
| Glen Candler | HMP Wakefield | Natural | Published | 6 Mar 2025 | 1 |
| Christopher Tatton | HMP Rye Hill | Natural | Published | 28 Feb 2025 | 1 |
| Raymond Connor | HMP Whatton | Natural | Published | 22 Feb 2025 | 2 |
| Timothy Frank | HMP Ranby | Natural | Published | 10 Feb 2025 | 2 |
| Christopher Walton | HMP Ranby | Natural | Published | 6 Feb 2025 | 7 |
| Lorna Carter | HMP/YOI Styal | Natural | Published | 27 Jan 2025 | 1 |
| Brian Kemp | HMP Fosse Way | Natural | Published | 26 Jan 2025 | 3 |
| Alan Hughes | HMP Risley | Natural | Published | 6 Jan 2025 | 2 |
| Brian Hayes | HMP/YOI High Down | Natural | Published | 1 Jan 2025 | 1 |
| Carl Forrester | HMP Exeter | Natural | Published | 13 Nov 2024 | 2 |
| John Corran | Isle of Man | Natural | Published | 12 Nov 2024 | 1 |
| John Freer | HMP Northumberland | Natural | Published | 29 Oct 2024 | 1 |
| David Evans | HMP Fosse Way | Natural | Published | 26 Jul 2024 | 2 |
| Phillip Sheridan | HMP Full Sutton | Natural | Published | 21 Jul 2024 | 2 |
| Michelle Saunders | HMP Littlehey | Natural | Published | 9 Jul 2024 | 1 |
| Raymond Paterson | HMP Fosse Way | Natural | Published | 1 Jul 2024 | 1 |
| Peter Honnor | HMP Wandsworth | Natural | Published | 27 Jun 2024 | 4 |
| John Chambers | HMP Hull | Natural | Published | 17 Jun 2024 | 1 |
| Paul Dixon | HMP Preston | Natural | Published | 16 Jun 2024 | 1 |
| Anthony Matthews | HMP Hollesley Bay | Natural | Published | 13 Jun 2024 | 2 |
| David Baxter | HMP Wealstun | Natural | Published | 26 May 2024 | 5 |
| Edward Lomas | HMP Pentonville | Self-inflicted | Published | 22 May 2024 | 4 |
| Catherine Botwright | HMP/YOI New Hall | Natural | Published | 18 May 2024 | 1 |
| Igor Vujkovic | HMP Maidstone | Natural | Published | 11 May 2024 | 4 |
| Stephen Jones | HMP Peterborough | Natural | Published | 5 May 2024 | 3 |
| Terrence Clover | HMP Swaleside | Natural | Published | 27 Feb 2024 | 1 |
| Henry Bangs | HMP Frankland | Natural | Published | 2 Feb 2024 | 2 |
| John Leadbitter | HMP Hull | Natural | Published | 31 Jan 2024 | 3 |
| Gerard Browne | HMP Wymott | Natural | Published | 19 Jan 2024 | 3 |
| Kevin Giles | HMP Hollesley Bay | Natural | Published | 13 Jan 2024 | 1 |
| Frederick Williams | HMP The Verne | Natural | Published | 12 Jan 2024 | 2 |
| Kim Chapman | HMP Send | Natural | Published | 6 Jan 2024 | 1 |
| John Kelk | HMP Wakefield | Natural | Published | 30 Dec 2023 | 2 |
| Azhar Hussain | HMP Bedford | Natural | Published | 27 Dec 2023 | 1 |
| John Rigby | HMP Wymott | Natural | Published | 17 Dec 2023 | 4 |
| Jamie Funnell | HMP Lewes | Other | Published | 16 Dec 2023 | 3 |
| Sidney Hughes | HMP Wymott | Natural | Published | 24 Nov 2023 | 2 |
| Solomon Bamidele | HMP Pentonville | Natural | Published | 16 Nov 2023 | 2 |
| Roy Whitehouse | HMP Oakwood | Natural | Published | 21 Oct 2023 | 2 |
| George Haslam | HMP Wymott | Natural | Published | 21 Oct 2023 | 1 |
| Darren Barker | HMP Peterborough | Natural | Published | 12 Sep 2023 | 2 |
| John Woodland | HMP Frankland | Natural | Published | 5 Sep 2023 | 3 |
| Frank Salmon | HMP Channings Wood | Natural | Published | 6 Aug 2023 | 1 |
| Daniel Rocks | HMP Hull | Natural | Published | 26 Jul 2023 | 1 |
| Barry Wemyss | HMP Northumberland | Natural | Published | 17 Jul 2023 | 1 |
| Anthony Kwan | HMP Channings Wood | Natural | Published | 8 Jul 2023 | 3 |
| Lee Kenyon | HMP Altcourse | Self-inflicted | Published | 24 Jun 2023 | 2 |
| Satish Kumar | HMP Oakwood | Natural | Published | 15 May 2023 | 1 |
Page 1 of 3
Next ›