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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Liam Watson-Hunter | HMP Holme House | In progress | — | — | |
| Billy Payne | HMP Belmarsh | In progress | — | — | |
| David Clairmonte | HMP Full Sutton | Pending inquest | — | — | |
| David McVicker | HMP Channings Wood | Pending inquest | — | — | |
| Michael Dyer | HMP Woodhill | Pending inquest | — | — | |
| Zacaria Gauji | HMP Leeds | Pending inquest | — | — | |
| Lee Draper | HMP Swansea | In progress | — | — | |
| Thomas James | HMP Wandsworth | In progress | — | — | |
| Leon Austin | HMP/YOI Doncaster | Pending inquest | — | — | |
| Simon Webber | HMP/YOI Portland | In progress | — | — | |
| Bobby Kennedy | Penrose Drive Approved Premises | Pending inquest | — | — | |
| Andrew Cooper | HMP Winchester | Pending inquest | — | — | |
| Thomas Mobbs | HMP Lindholme | In progress | — | — | |
| Colin Clapham | HMP Littlehey | In progress | — | — | |
| Alan Fowler | HMP Isle of Wight | In progress | — | — | |
| Wayne Miller | HMP Frankland | Pending inquest | — | — | |
| Aaron Rowley | HMP Holme House | In progress | — | — | |
| Michael Shilton | HMP Stafford | Natural | Published | — | — |
| Dean Waters | HMP Long Lartin | Pending inquest | — | — | |
| Waleed Ali | HMP Wandsworth | Self-inflicted | Published | — | 1 |
| Paul Wildman | HMP Altcourse | Pending inquest | — | — | |
| Kasim Hussain | HMP Preston | In progress | — | — | |
| Errol Craig | HMP Leeds | In progress | — | — | |
| Adrian Stanton | HMP Featherstone | Pending inquest | — | — | |
| Peter Cooper | HMP Fosse Way | In progress | — | — | |
| Bernard Stevens | HMP Isle of Wight | Pending inquest | — | — | |
| Brian Haines | HMP Five Wells | In progress | — | — | |
| Dean Taylor | HMP Stoke Heath | Pending inquest | — | — | |
| Alfred Grimble | HMP Norwich | In progress | — | — | |
| Louis Maniatt | Ty Newydd Approved Premises | Other | Published | — | 3 |
| Adrian O’Reilly | HMP Littlehey | In progress | — | — | |
| Matthew Bryant | HMP Channings Wood | In progress | — | — | |
| Kenneth Pickering | HMP Lincoln | In progress | — | — | |
| Francis Berry | HMP Altcourse | In progress | — | — | |
| Carl Jewitt | HMP Bedford | In progress | — | — | |
| Jacob Blow | HMP Exeter | Pending inquest | — | — | |
| Shannon Woodhall | HMP/YOI Eastwood Park | In progress | — | — | |
| Christopher Hennigan | HMP Manchester | In progress | — | — | |
| Chay Bignell | HMP Swaleside | Pending inquest | — | — | |
| Richard Scaife | HMP Isle of Wight | Pending inquest | — | — | |
| Lyndon Jones | HMP/YOI Parc | In progress | — | — | |
| Toby Greenwell | HMP Humber | Pending inquest | — | — | |
| George Richards | HMP Lincoln | Pending inquest | — | — | |
| Baby C | HMP/YOI Foston Hall | Pending inquest | — | — | |
| Eldhose John | HMP Bullingdon | Pending inquest | — | — | |
| Mark Fletcher | HMP Full Sutton | Pending inquest | — | — | |
| Arsi Norain | HMP Morton Hall | Pending inquest | — | — | |
| Terence McGlen | HMP Northumberland | In progress | — | — | |
| Malcolm Pyke | HMP Durham | In progress | — | — | |
| Christian Bell | HMP Fosse Way | Pending inquest | — | — |