Source · Deaths in custody
PPO Fatal Incident Reports
6,470 incidents
5,745 published
1,502 recommendations
1,653 self-inflicted
3,404 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Annual Report 2025 to 2026 | Annual report | Jul 2026 | |
| 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 inquiry into Rehabilitation and Resettlement | Consultation response | Feb 2025 | |
| PPO response to JHAC Inquiry into Prison Culture | Consultation response | Feb 2025 | |
| PPO response to JSC Tackling Drugs in Prison Inquiry | 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 2022-23 | Annual report | Jul 2024 | |
| Annual Report 2023-24 | 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 | |
| Fatal Incident Investigations Learning Lessons Bulletin Issue 17: Post-release death investigations | Learning Lessons Bulletin | Jan 2023 | |
| Investigating deaths after release from prison – a pilot evaluation | 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 |
Incidents
| Name | Establishment | Cause | Status | Date of death | Recs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brian Fletcher | HMP Hewell | Natural | Published | — | 5 |
| Peter Williams | HMP Littlehey | Natural | Published | — | 2 |
| Peter Magloire | HMP Wormwood Scrubs | Self-inflicted | Published | — | 3 |
| Alexander Boy | HMP Wandsworth | Other | Published | — | 1 |
| Amanda Fitzpatrick | Edith Rigby House Approved Premises | Other | Published | — | 1 |
| Daniel Bailey | HMP Lindholme | Other | Published | — | 2 |
| Raymond Wallace | HMP Lowdham Grange | Other | Published | — | 2 |
| Dave McKillop | HMP Stafford | Self-inflicted | Published | — | 1 |
| Jason Sedgwick | HMP Littlehey | Natural | Published | — | 2 |
| Ronald Meikle | HMP Woodhill | Other | Published | — | 2 |
| Dean Collins | HMP Birmingham | Natural | Published | — | 2 |
| Patrick Maughan | HMP Lowdham Grange | Other | Published | — | 1 |
| Alexander Rodgers | HMP Wymott | Self-inflicted | Published | — | 2 |
| Frazer Williams | HMP Guys Marsh | Self-inflicted | Published | — | 9 |
| Norman Loseby | HMP Isle of Wight | Self-inflicted | Published | — | 6 |
| Keith Saunders | HMP Peterborough | Natural | Published | — | 2 |
| Brian Lomas | HMP Birmingham | Natural | Published | 2 May 2025 | 1 |
| Roy Anderson | HMP Ranby | Natural | Published | 10 Mar 2025 | 2 |
| Darren Stapleton | HMP Peterborough | Natural | Published | 4 Feb 2025 | 1 |
| Alex Davies | HMP/YOI Styal | Self-inflicted | Published | 24 Dec 2024 | 2 |
| Brian Acott | HMP Lewes | Natural | Published | 17 Sep 2024 | 2 |
| Eric Stringer | HMP Wormwood Scrubs | Natural | Published | 23 Aug 2024 | 4 |
| Christopher Ash | HMP Birmingham | Natural | Published | 26 Jun 2024 | 1 |
| Lewis Brown | HMP Birmingham | Self-inflicted | Published | 27 May 2024 | 3 |
| Rakeem Malik | HMP Long Lartin | Natural | Published | 20 May 2024 | 1 |
| Ashley Ferrie | HMP Fosse Way | Self-inflicted | Published | 13 Feb 2024 | 3 |
| Sean Higgins | HMP Rochester | Self-inflicted | Published | 7 Feb 2024 | 6 |
| Brian Field | HMP Full Sutton | Natural | Published | 4 Feb 2024 | 1 |
| Daniel Fielding | HMP Liverpool | Self-inflicted | Published | 19 Jan 2024 | 6 |
| Matthew Osborne | HMP Lowdham Grange | Self-inflicted | Published | 25 Nov 2023 | 1 |
| John Kenny | HMP/YOI Parc | Natural | Published | 21 Oct 2023 | 1 |
| Ricky Crosher | HMP Lowdham Grange | Self-inflicted | Published | 11 Oct 2023 | 3 |
| Darren Barker | HMP Peterborough | Natural | Published | 12 Sep 2023 | 2 |
| Raymond Cartwright | HMP Risley | Natural | Published | 6 Aug 2023 | 2 |
| John Rombach | HMP Stafford | Natural | Published | 17 Jul 2023 | 2 |
| Damon Hardman | HMP Lewes | Self-inflicted | Published | 8 Jun 2023 | 3 |
| Rolandas Karbauskas | HMP Lowdham Grange | Self-inflicted | Published | 25 Mar 2023 | 6 |
| Michael Tucker | HMP Wayland | Self-inflicted | Published | 22 Mar 2023 | 2 |
| Ryan Harding | HMP/YOI Parc | Other | Published | 8 Jan 2023 | 3 |
| Thomas Goldring | HMP Winchester | Self-inflicted | Published | 29 Dec 2022 | 4 |
| Matthew Xavier | HMP Highpoint | Natural | Published | 16 Dec 2022 | 2 |
| Anthony O’Connell | HMP Swaleside | Self-inflicted | Published | 18 Sep 2022 | 9 |
| Sebastian Mularz | HMP Hull | Natural | Published | 17 Aug 2022 | 6 |
| Kayleigh Melhuish | HMP/YOI Eastwood Park | Self-inflicted | Published | 7 Jul 2022 | 8 |
| Guiseppe Tabone | HMP Lewes | Other | Published | 28 Jun 2022 | 5 |
| Andrew Evans | HMP Lewes | Other | Published | 28 Jun 2022 | 5 |
| Lee Scott | HMP Humber | Self-inflicted | Published | 14 Jun 2022 | 4 |
| Wayne Bayley | HMP Pentonville | Other | Published | 17 May 2022 | 7 |
| James Bailey | HMP The Mount | Self-inflicted | Published | 1 Mar 2022 | 6 |
| Azroy Dawes-Clarke | HMP Elmley | Self-inflicted | Published | 10 Nov 2021 | 8 |
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