Source · Deaths in custody
PPO Fatal Incident Reports
6,401 incidents
5,674 published
1,165 recommendations
1,633 self-inflicted
3,373 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 22: Self-inflicted deaths in reception prisons | Learning Lessons Bulletin | Mar 2026 | |
| Fatal Incident Investigations Learning Lessons Bulletin Issue 21: Segregation | 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 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 | |
| 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Individual at Whatton | HMP Whatton | Natural | Published | 23 Aug 2010 | — |
| Individual at Dovegate | HMP Dovegate | Natural | Published | 22 Aug 2010 | — |
| Individual at Send | HMP Send | Self-inflicted | Published | 21 Aug 2010 | — |
| Individual at Hewell | HMP Hewell | Natural | Published | 18 Aug 2010 | — |
| Individual at Wandsworth | HMP Wandsworth | Self-inflicted | Published | 12 Aug 2010 | — |
| Individual at Belmarsh | HMP Belmarsh | Natural | Published | 7 Aug 2010 | — |
| Individual at Pentonville | HMP Pentonville | Self-inflicted | Published | 6 Aug 2010 | — |
| Individual at Grendon | HMP Grendon | Homicide | Published | 1 Aug 2010 | — |
| Individual at Wymott | HMP Wymott | Natural | Published | 30 Jul 2010 | — |
| Individual at Holme House | HMP Holme House | Self-inflicted | Published | 29 Jul 2010 | — |
| Individual at Littlehey | HMP Littlehey | Natural | Published | 27 Jul 2010 | — |
| Individual at Belmarsh | HMP Belmarsh | Self-inflicted | Published | 20 Jul 2010 | — |
| Individual at Brixton | HMP Brixton | Other | Published | 17 Jul 2010 | — |
| Individual at Liverpool | HMP Liverpool | Natural | Published | 16 Jul 2010 | — |
| Individual at Pentonville | HMP Pentonville | Natural | Published | 14 Jul 2010 | — |
| Individual at Altcourse | HMP Altcourse | Other | Published | 13 Jul 2010 | — |
| Individual at Birmingham | HMP Birmingham | Natural | Published | 13 Jul 2010 | — |
| Individual at Forest Bank | HMP Forest Bank | Natural | Published | 12 Jul 2010 | — |
| Individual at Hewell | HMP Hewell | Self-inflicted | Published | 9 Jul 2010 | — |
| Individual at Leeds | HMP Leeds | Natural | Published | 9 Jul 2010 | — |
| Individual at Gartree | HMP Gartree | Natural | Published | 9 Jul 2010 | — |
| Individual at Wakefield | HMP Wakefield | Natural | Published | 9 Jul 2010 | — |
| Individual at Swansea | HMP Swansea | Self-inflicted | Published | 5 Jul 2010 | — |
| Individual at The Verne | HMP The Verne | Other | Published | 4 Jul 2010 | — |
| Individual at Preston | HMP Preston | Natural | Published | 2 Jul 2010 | — |
| Individual at Full Sutton | HMP Full Sutton | Self-inflicted | Published | 1 Jul 2010 | — |
| Individual at Birmingham | HMP Birmingham | Natural | Published | 27 Jun 2010 | — |
| Individual at Durham | HMP Durham | Self-inflicted | Published | 27 Jun 2010 | — |
| Individual at Manchester | HMP Manchester | Self-inflicted | Published | 23 Jun 2010 | — |
| Individual at Doncaster | HMP Doncaster | Self-inflicted | Published | 21 Jun 2010 | — |
| Individual at Birmingham | HMP Birmingham | Self-inflicted | Published | 17 Jun 2010 | — |
| Individual at Birmingham | HMP Birmingham | Natural | Published | 17 Jun 2010 | — |
| Individual at Gloucester | HMP Gloucester | Natural | Published | 12 Jun 2010 | — |
| Individual at Gartree | HMP Gartree | Natural | Published | 11 Jun 2010 | — |
| Individual at Norwich | HMP Norwich | Natural | Published | 10 Jun 2010 | — |
| Individual at Belmarsh | HMP Belmarsh | Self-inflicted | Published | 2 Jun 2010 | — |
| Individual at Shrewsbury | HMP Shrewsbury | Natural | Published | 28 May 2010 | — |
| Individual at Wayland | HMP Wayland | Natural | Published | 27 May 2010 | — |
| Individual at Bullingdon | HMP Bullingdon | Self-inflicted | Published | 27 May 2010 | — |
| Individual at Glen Parva | HMP Glen Parva | Self-inflicted | Published | 24 May 2010 | — |
| Individual at Altcourse | HMP Altcourse | Natural | Published | 23 May 2010 | — |
| Individual at Hull | HMP Hull | Natural | Published | 22 May 2010 | — |
| Individual at The Mount | HMP The Mount | Natural | Published | 21 May 2010 | — |
| Individual at Exeter | HMP Exeter | Self-inflicted | Published | 20 May 2010 | — |
| Individual at Whatton | HMP Whatton | Natural | Published | 18 May 2010 | — |
| Individual at Bullingdon | HMP Bullingdon | Self-inflicted | Published | 16 May 2010 | — |
| Individual at Belmarsh | HMP Belmarsh | Self-inflicted | Published | 13 May 2010 | — |
| Individual at Bronzefield | HMP Bronzefield | Other | Published | 8 May 2010 | — |
| Individual at Belmarsh | HMP Belmarsh | Natural | Published | 7 May 2010 | — |
| Individual at Usk and Prescoed | HMP Usk and Prescoed | Natural | Published | 6 May 2010 | — |