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 Woodhill | HMP Woodhill | Self-inflicted | Published | 20 Jun 2004 | — |
| Individual at Kirkham | HMP Kirkham | Natural | Published | 19 Jun 2004 | — |
| Individual at Birmingham | HMP Birmingham | Natural | Published | 18 Jun 2004 | — |
| Individual at Swaleside | HMP Swaleside | Natural | Published | 14 Jun 2004 | — |
| Individual at Nottingham | HMP Nottingham | Self-inflicted | Published | 11 Jun 2004 | — |
| Individual at Eastwood Park | HMP Eastwood Park | Natural | Published | 7 Jun 2004 | — |
| Individual at Lewes | HMP Lewes | Natural | Published | 6 Jun 2004 | — |
| Individual at Holme House | HMP Holme House | Other | Published | 6 Jun 2004 | — |
| Individual at Foston Hall | HMP Foston Hall | Natural | Published | 2 Jun 2004 | — |
| Individual at Buckley Hall | HMP Buckley Hall | Self-inflicted | Published | 1 Jun 2004 | — |
| Individual at Maidstone | HMP Maidstone | Natural | Published | 30 May 2004 | — |
| Individual at Whitemoor | HMP Whitemoor | Natural | Published | 26 May 2004 | — |
| Individual at Shepton Mallet | HMP Shepton Mallet | Natural | Published | 26 May 2004 | — |
| Individual at Hull | HMP Hull | Self-inflicted | Published | 25 May 2004 | — |
| Individual at Lincoln | HMP Lincoln | Self-inflicted | Published | 25 May 2004 | — |
| Individual at Durham | HMP Durham | Self-inflicted | Published | 24 May 2004 | — |
| Individual at Chelmsford | HMP Chelmsford | Natural | Published | 22 May 2004 | — |
| Individual at Wayland | HMP Wayland | Natural | Published | 21 May 2004 | — |
| Individual at Lewes | HMP Lewes | Self-inflicted | Published | 19 May 2004 | — |
| Individual at Blakenhurst | HMP Blakenhurst | Self-inflicted | Published | 18 May 2004 | — |
| Individual at Leicester | HMP Leicester | Self-inflicted | Published | 15 May 2004 | — |
| Individual at Lincoln | HMP Lincoln | Other | Published | 11 May 2004 | — |
| Individual at Bridge House | Bridge House | Other | Published | 9 May 2004 | — |
| Individual at Rye Hill | HMP Rye Hill | Natural | Published | 9 May 2004 | — |
| Individual at Shrewsbury | HMP Shrewsbury | Self-inflicted | Published | 8 May 2004 | — |
| Individual at Durham | HMP Durham | Self-inflicted | Published | 8 May 2004 | — |
| Individual at Holloway | HMP Holloway | Self-inflicted | Published | 8 May 2004 | — |
| Individual at Haverigg | HMP Haverigg | Natural | Published | 7 May 2004 | — |
| Individual at Wakefield | HMP Wakefield | Natural | Published | 3 May 2004 | — |
| Individual at Victoria House | Victoria House | Other | Published | 2 May 2004 | — |
| Individual at Haslar | IRC Haslar | Natural | Published | 1 May 2004 | — |
| Individual at St Christophers House | St Christophers House | Homicide | Published | 29 Apr 2004 | — |
| Individual at Woodhill | HMP Woodhill | Self-inflicted | Published | 28 Apr 2004 | — |
| Individual at Whatton | HMP Whatton | Natural | Published | 24 Apr 2004 | — |
| Individual at Doncaster | HMP Doncaster | Other | Published | 21 Apr 2004 | — |
| Individual at Holme House | HMP Holme House | Natural | Published | 20 Apr 2004 | — |
| Individual at Send | HMP Send | Self-inflicted | Published | 18 Apr 2004 | — |
| Individual at New Hall | HMP New Hall | Self-inflicted | Published | 18 Apr 2004 | — |
| Individual at Holloway | HMP Holloway | Self-inflicted | Published | 17 Apr 2004 | — |
| Individual at Liverpool | HMP Liverpool | Self-inflicted | Published | 16 Apr 2004 | — |
| Individual at Wymott | HMP Wymott | Natural | Published | 15 Apr 2004 | — |
| Individual at Frankland | HMP Frankland | Self-inflicted | Published | 15 Apr 2004 | — |
| Individual at Hull | HMP Hull | Natural | Published | 11 Apr 2004 | — |
| Individual at Preston | HMP Preston | Natural | Published | 10 Apr 2004 | — |
| Individual at Pennywell | Pennywell | Natural | Published | 6 Apr 2004 | — |
| Individual at Bristol | HMP Bristol | Natural | Published | 6 Apr 2004 | — |
| Individual at Brockhill | HMP Brockhill | Self-inflicted | Published | 3 Apr 2004 | — |
| Individual at Leeds | HMP Leeds | Homicide | Published | 2 Apr 2004 | — |
| Individual at Wakefield | HMP Wakefield | Self-inflicted | Published | 13 Jan 2004 | — |
| Individual at Styal | HMP Styal | Other | Published | 12 Aug 2003 | — |