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

6,563 records

Anthony Rowbotham

HMP Durham

Investigation: Pending inquest outcome0 recommendations indexed

PPO entry published 22 August 2024

Oliver Crossley

HMP Berwyn

Investigation: In progress0 recommendations indexed

PPO entry published 27 August 2026

William Vickers

HMP Woodhill

Investigation: Pending inquest outcome0 recommendations indexed

PPO entry published 27 August 2026

Robert Butler

HMP Fosse Way

Investigation: Pending inquest outcome0 recommendations indexed

PPO entry published 10 July 2025

Roger Dodds

HMP Whatton

Investigation: In progress0 recommendations indexed

PPO entry published 27 August 2026

Michael Pigott

HMP Birmingham

Investigation: In progress0 recommendations indexed

PPO entry published 14 May 2026

David Johnson

HMP Bure

Investigation: In progress0 recommendations indexed

PPO entry published 2 July 2026

Ashiq Ahmed

HMP Lancaster Farms

Investigation: Pending inquest outcome0 recommendations indexed

PPO entry published 29 January 2026

Steven Wood

HMP Frankland

Investigation: Pending inquest outcome0 recommendations indexed

PPO entry published 2 October 2025

Scott Napier

HMP Swaleside

Investigation: Pending inquest outcome0 recommendations indexed

PPO entry published 15 January 2026

Thomas Fowler

HMP Isle of Wight

Investigation: In progress0 recommendations indexed

PPO entry published 1 October 2026

Steven Collins

HMP Wymott

Investigation: Pending inquest outcome0 recommendations indexed

PPO entry published 10 April 2025

Brian Haines

HMP Five Wells

Investigation: In progress0 recommendations indexed

PPO entry published 13 March 2026

Andrew Gray

HMP Fosse Way

Investigation: In progress0 recommendations indexed

PPO entry published 13 August 2026

David Brooks

HMP Rye Hill

Investigation: Pending inquest outcome0 recommendations indexed

PPO entry published 7 January 2026

Vasilev Pachev

HMP Wormwood Scrubs

Investigation: Pending inquest outcome0 recommendations indexed

PPO entry published 12 February 2026

Alfred Grimble

HMP Norwich

Investigation: In progress0 recommendations indexed

PPO entry published 13 March 2026

Paul Barton

HMP The Verne

Investigation: In progress0 recommendations indexed

PPO entry published 6 August 2026

Joseph Kendra

HMP Hull

Investigation: In progress0 recommendations indexed

PPO entry published 1 October 2026

Anthony Shackell

HMP Bullingdon

Investigation: Pending inquest outcome0 recommendations indexed

PPO entry published 30 October 2025

Derrick Johnson

HMP Five Wells

Investigation: In progress0 recommendations indexed

PPO entry published 3 September 2026

William Berry

HMP Stafford

Investigation: In progress0 recommendations indexed

PPO entry published 4 June 2026

Peter Cooper

HMP Fosse Way

Investigation: Pending inquest outcome0 recommendations indexed

PPO entry published 7 January 2026

Michael Pickering

HMP Long Lartin

Investigation: In progress0 recommendations indexed

PPO entry published 1 September 2026

Dean Waters

HMP Long Lartin

Investigation: Pending inquest outcome0 recommendations indexed

PPO entry published 7 January 2026

Simon Kubalik

HMP/YOI Doncaster

Investigation: Pending inquest outcome0 recommendations indexed

PPO entry published 30 January 2025

Adrian O’Reilly

HMP Littlehey

Investigation: In progress0 recommendations indexed

PPO entry published 13 March 2026

Craig Smith

HMP Rochester

Natural causesInvestigation: Report published0 recommendations indexed

PPO entry published 24 June 2026

Carl Jewitt

HMP Bedford

Investigation: In progress0 recommendations indexed

PPO entry published 13 March 2026

Bradley Gower

HMP Chelmsford

Investigation: In progress0 recommendations indexed

PPO entry published 3 September 2026

Isaiah Olugosi

HMP Wormwood Scrubs

Self-inflictedInvestigation: Report published7 recommendations indexed

PPO entry published 24 August 2026

Lee Draper

HMP Swansea

Investigation: Pending inquest outcome0 recommendations indexed

PPO entry published 3 July 2025

Michael Dyer

HMP Woodhill

Investigation: Pending inquest outcome0 recommendations indexed

PPO entry published 3 July 2025

Kasim Hussain

HMP Preston

Investigation: Pending inquest outcome0 recommendations indexed

PPO entry published 19 March 2026

Brian Myers

HMP Garth

Investigation: In progress0 recommendations indexed

PPO entry published 13 May 2026

Warsami Ibrahim

HMP Wakefield

Investigation: In progress0 recommendations indexed

PPO entry published 27 August 2026

John Burnham

HMP Hewell

Investigation: In progress0 recommendations indexed

PPO entry published 27 August 2026

Christopher Diamond

HMP Channings Wood

Investigation: In progress0 recommendations indexed

PPO entry published 1 October 2026

Michael Snow

HMP/YOI Moorland

Investigation: In progress0 recommendations indexed

PPO entry published 1 October 2026

Richard Smallwood

HMP Lewes

Investigation: In progress0 recommendations indexed

PPO entry published 27 August 2026

Paul Leitch-Devlin

HMP Altcourse

Investigation: Pending inquest outcome0 recommendations indexed

PPO entry published 29 January 2026

Andrew Monaghan

HMP Lindholme

Investigation: In progress0 recommendations indexed

PPO entry published 18 June 2026

Terence McGlen

HMP Northumberland

Investigation: Pending inquest outcome0 recommendations indexed

PPO entry published 26 March 2026

Jeremy Wing

HMP Bure

Investigation: In progress0 recommendations indexed

PPO entry published 3 September 2026

Andrew Leeming

HMP Lancaster Farms

Investigation: In progress0 recommendations indexed

PPO entry published 3 September 2026

Carlos Velez

HMP Belmarsh

Investigation: Pending inquest outcome0 recommendations indexed

PPO entry published 23 October 2025

Lyndon Jones

HMP/YOI Parc

Investigation: In progress0 recommendations indexed

PPO entry published 13 March 2026

Bernard Stevens

HMP Isle of Wight

Investigation: Pending inquest outcome0 recommendations indexed

PPO entry published 26 June 2025

Malcolm Pyke

HMP Durham

Investigation: In progress0 recommendations indexed

PPO entry published 26 March 2026

Charles Pratt

HMP Leeds

Natural causesInvestigation: Report published0 recommendations indexed

PPO entry published 3 July 2026

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