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 Elmley | HMP Elmley | Natural | Published | 9 Nov 2005 | — |
| Individual at Swansea | HMP Swansea | Natural | Published | 7 Nov 2005 | — |
| Individual at Merseybank | Merseybank | Self-inflicted | Published | 6 Nov 2005 | — |
| Individual at Norwich | HMP Norwich | Natural | Published | 6 Nov 2005 | — |
| Individual at Manchester | HMP Manchester | Natural | Published | 5 Nov 2005 | — |
| Individual at Forest Bank | HMP Forest Bank | Natural | Published | 4 Nov 2005 | — |
| Individual at Frankland | HMP Frankland | Natural | Published | 2 Nov 2005 | — |
| Individual at High Down | HMP High Down | Natural | Published | 31 Oct 2005 | — |
| Individual at Beckenham Road | Beckenham Road | Other | Published | 31 Oct 2005 | — |
| Individual at Rye Hill | HMP Rye Hill | Natural | Published | 29 Oct 2005 | — |
| Individual at Holloway | HMP Holloway | Self-inflicted | Published | 28 Oct 2005 | — |
| Individual at Isle of Wight | HMP Isle of Wight | Natural | Published | 26 Oct 2005 | — |
| Individual at Pentonville | HMP Pentonville | Self-inflicted | Published | 25 Oct 2005 | — |
| Individual at Acklington | HMP Acklington | Natural | Published | 24 Oct 2005 | — |
| Individual at Isle of Wight | HMP Isle of Wight | Natural | Published | 22 Oct 2005 | — |
| Individual at Holme House | HMP Holme House | Natural | Published | 22 Oct 2005 | — |
| Individual at Bronzefield | HMP Bronzefield | Natural | Published | 20 Oct 2005 | — |
| Individual at Channings Wood | HMP Channings Wood | Natural | Published | 14 Oct 2005 | — |
| Individual at Winchester | HMP Winchester | Natural | Published | 8 Oct 2005 | — |
| Individual at Rye Hill | HMP Rye Hill | Natural | Published | 5 Oct 2005 | — |
| Individual at Elmley | HMP Elmley | Other | Published | 5 Oct 2005 | — |
| Individual at Swaleside | HMP Swaleside | Natural | Published | 2 Oct 2005 | — |
| Individual at Pentonville | HMP Pentonville | Natural | Published | 2 Oct 2005 | — |
| Individual at Norwich | HMP Norwich | Self-inflicted | Published | 30 Sep 2005 | — |
| Individual at Manchester | HMP Manchester | Self-inflicted | Published | 22 Sep 2005 | — |
| Individual at Woodhill | HMP Woodhill | Natural | Published | 21 Sep 2005 | — |
| Individual at Guys Marsh | HMP Guys Marsh | Other | Published | 20 Sep 2005 | — |
| Individual at Doncaster | HMP Doncaster | Self-inflicted | Published | 20 Sep 2005 | — |
| Individual at Bronzefield | HMP Bronzefield | Natural | Published | 18 Sep 2005 | — |
| Individual at Sudbury | HMP Sudbury | Natural | Published | 17 Sep 2005 | — |
| Individual at Ashwell | HMP Ashwell | Natural | Published | 17 Sep 2005 | — |
| Individual at Belmarsh | HMP Belmarsh | Natural | Published | 16 Sep 2005 | — |
| Individual at Full Sutton | HMP Full Sutton | Homicide | Published | 16 Sep 2005 | — |
| Individual at Yarls Wood | IRC Yarls Wood | Self-inflicted | Published | 15 Sep 2005 | — |
| Individual at Hindley | HMP Hindley | Self-inflicted | Published | 15 Sep 2005 | — |
| Individual at Wymott | HMP Wymott | Self-inflicted | Published | 14 Sep 2005 | — |
| Individual at Wakefield | HMP Wakefield | Natural | Published | 10 Sep 2005 | — |
| Individual at Chelmsford | HMP Chelmsford | Natural | Published | 9 Sep 2005 | — |
| Individual at Reading | HMP Reading | Self-inflicted | Published | 7 Sep 2005 | — |
| Individual at Elmley | HMP Elmley | Natural | Published | 7 Sep 2005 | — |
| Individual at Altcourse | HMP Altcourse | Natural | Published | 1 Sep 2005 | — |
| Individual at Bedford | HMP Bedford | Self-inflicted | Published | 1 Sep 2005 | — |
| Individual at Wandsworth | HMP Wandsworth | Self-inflicted | Published | 29 Aug 2005 | — |
| Individual at Linden Bank | Linden Bank | Other | Published | 26 Aug 2005 | — |
| Individual at Wormwood Scrubs | HMP Wormwood Scrubs | Self-inflicted | Published | 26 Aug 2005 | — |
| Individual at Isle of Wight | HMP Isle of Wight | Natural | Published | 24 Aug 2005 | — |
| Individual at Durham | HMP Durham | Natural | Published | 23 Aug 2005 | — |
| Individual at Leeds | HMP Leeds | Self-inflicted | Published | 21 Aug 2005 | — |
| Individual at Durham | HMP Durham | Self-inflicted | Published | 21 Aug 2005 | — |
| Individual at Wymott | HMP Wymott | Natural | Published | 20 Aug 2005 | — |