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 Wormwood Scrubs | HMP Wormwood Scrubs | Self-inflicted | Published | 21 Apr 2009 | — |
| Individual at Liverpool | HMP Liverpool | Natural | Published | 19 Apr 2009 | — |
| Individual at Lincoln | HMP Lincoln | Natural | Published | 18 Apr 2009 | — |
| Individual at Lincoln | HMP Lincoln | Self-inflicted | Published | 17 Apr 2009 | — |
| Individual at Lawson House | Lawson House | Other | Published | 15 Apr 2009 | — |
| Individual at Manchester | HMP Manchester | Natural | Published | 15 Apr 2009 | — |
| Individual at Elmley | HMP Elmley | Self-inflicted | Published | 12 Apr 2009 | — |
| Individual at Wellingborough | HMP Wellingborough | Self-inflicted | Published | 9 Apr 2009 | — |
| Individual at Isle of Wight | HMP Isle of Wight | Natural | Published | 9 Apr 2009 | — |
| Individual at Littlehey | HMP Littlehey | Natural | Published | 9 Apr 2009 | — |
| Individual at Lewes | HMP Lewes | Natural | Published | 9 Apr 2009 | — |
| Individual at Send | HMP Send | Natural | Published | 6 Apr 2009 | — |
| Individual at Norfolk Park | Norfolk Park | Self-inflicted | Published | 2 Apr 2009 | — |
| Individual at Woodhill | HMP Woodhill | Self-inflicted | Published | 1 Apr 2009 | — |
| Individual at Erlestoke House | HMP Erlestoke House | Natural | Published | 1 Apr 2009 | — |
| Individual at Dovegate | HMP Dovegate | Natural | Published | 29 Mar 2009 | — |
| Individual at Gartree | HMP Gartree | Natural | Published | 29 Mar 2009 | — |
| Individual at Woodhill | HMP Woodhill | Natural | Published | 28 Mar 2009 | — |
| Individual at Holme House | HMP Holme House | Self-inflicted | Published | 27 Mar 2009 | — |
| Individual at Altcourse | HMP Altcourse | Self-inflicted | Published | 25 Mar 2009 | — |
| Individual at Durham | HMP Durham | Self-inflicted | Published | 12 Mar 2009 | — |
| Individual at Peterborough | HMP Peterborough | Natural | Published | 10 Mar 2009 | — |
| Individual at Cardiff | HMP Cardiff | Self-inflicted | Published | 10 Mar 2009 | — |
| Individual at Crowley House (female) | Crowley House (female) | Natural | Published | 8 Mar 2009 | — |
| Individual at Frankland | HMP Frankland | Natural | Published | 6 Mar 2009 | — |
| Individual at Norwich | HMP Norwich | Natural | Published | 27 Feb 2009 | — |
| Individual at Shepton Mallet | HMP Shepton Mallet | Natural | Published | 26 Feb 2009 | — |
| Individual at Dovegate | HMP Dovegate | Natural | Published | 25 Feb 2009 | — |
| Individual at Liverpool | HMP Liverpool | Self-inflicted | Published | 24 Feb 2009 | — |
| Individual at Dartmoor | HMP Dartmoor | Natural | Published | 13 Feb 2009 | — |
| Individual at Full Sutton | HMP Full Sutton | Natural | Published | 13 Feb 2009 | — |
| Individual at Full Sutton | HMP Full Sutton | Natural | Published | 10 Feb 2009 | — |
| Individual at Frankland | HMP Frankland | Other | Published | 9 Feb 2009 | — |
| Individual at Manchester | HMP Manchester | Self-inflicted | Published | 7 Feb 2009 | — |
| Individual at Isle of Wight | HMP Isle of Wight | Self-inflicted | Published | 7 Feb 2009 | — |
| Individual at Wolds | HMP Wolds | Natural | Published | 7 Feb 2009 | — |
| Individual at Winchester | HMP Winchester | Natural | Published | 6 Feb 2009 | — |
| Individual at Wandsworth | HMP Wandsworth | Natural | Published | 4 Feb 2009 | — |
| Individual at Leicester | HMP Leicester | Self-inflicted | Published | 2 Feb 2009 | — |
| Individual at Wakefield | HMP Wakefield | Natural | Published | 1 Feb 2009 | — |
| Individual at Dartmoor | HMP Dartmoor | Self-inflicted | Published | 30 Jan 2009 | — |
| Individual at Foston Hall | HMP Foston Hall | Self-inflicted | Published | 30 Jan 2009 | — |
| Individual at Littlehey | HMP Littlehey | Natural | Published | 29 Jan 2009 | — |
| Individual at Manchester | HMP Manchester | Other | Published | 28 Jan 2009 | — |
| Individual at Norwich | HMP Norwich | Self-inflicted | Published | 27 Jan 2009 | — |
| Individual at Swaleside | HMP Swaleside | Natural | Published | 24 Jan 2009 | — |
| Individual at Wormwood Scrubs | HMP Wormwood Scrubs | Natural | Published | 23 Jan 2009 | — |
| Individual at Leeds | HMP Leeds | Self-inflicted | Published | 20 Jan 2009 | — |
| Individual at Hewell | HMP Hewell | Natural | Published | 18 Jan 2009 | — |
| Individual at Stafford | HMP Stafford | Self-inflicted | Published | 17 Jan 2009 | — |