Source · Deaths in custody
PPO Fatal Incident Reports
6,395 incidents
5,660 published
1,165 recommendations
1,632 self-inflicted
3,362 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 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 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 2023-24 | Annual report | Jul 2024 | |
| Annual report 2022-23 | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Patrick Brady | HMP Ashfield | Pending inquest | — | — | |
| Carl Hyde | HMP Stocken | Pending inquest | — | — | |
| Khaled Hassan | HMP Northumberland | Pending inquest | — | — | |
| Nicholas Robinson | HMP Oakwood | Pending inquest | — | — | |
| Liam Watson-Hunter | HMP Holme House | In progress | — | — | |
| Myles Filose | HMP Winchester | Natural | Published | — | — |
| Claire Taylor | HMP/YOI Eastwood Park | Pending inquest | — | — | |
| Mason King | HMP Channings Wood | In progress | — | — | |
| Thomas Haigh | HMP Manchester | In progress | — | — | |
| Michael Smith | HMP Norwich | Pending inquest | — | — | |
| Steven Watson | HMP Highpoint | Pending inquest | — | — | |
| Philip Walton | HMP Stafford | Natural | Published | — | — |
| Michael Dyer | HMP Woodhill | Pending inquest | — | — | |
| Zacaria Gauji | HMP Leeds | Pending inquest | — | — | |
| Lee Draper | HMP Swansea | In progress | — | — | |
| Amie Keeling | HMP/YOI Foston Hall | In progress | — | — | |
| Bobby Kennedy | Penrose Drive Approved Premises | Pending inquest | — | — | |
| Ronald Beamish | HMP Chelmsford | Pending inquest | — | — | |
| Thomas Mobbs | HMP Lindholme | In progress | — | — | |
| Lee Peacock | HMP Long Lartin | Pending inquest | — | — | |
| Patryk Skupinski | HMP Gartree | Other | Published | — | — |
| Trevor Wiggan | HMP Garth | Pending inquest | — | — | |
| Aaron Rowley | HMP Holme House | In progress | — | — | |
| Wayne Miller | HMP Frankland | Pending inquest | — | — | |
| David Brooks | HMP Rye Hill | In progress | — | — | |
| Robbie Northridge | HMP Lowdham Grange | Pending inquest | — | — | |
| Kasim Hussain | HMP Preston | In progress | — | — | |
| Dean Taylor | HMP Stoke Heath | Pending inquest | — | — | |
| Paul Wildman | HMP Altcourse | Pending inquest | — | — | |
| Errol Craig | HMP Leeds | In progress | — | — | |
| Peter Cooper | HMP Fosse Way | In progress | — | — | |
| Emma Kent | HMP/YOI Foston Hall | Pending inquest | — | — | |
| Dean Waters | HMP Long Lartin | In progress | — | — | |
| Bernard Stevens | HMP Isle of Wight | Pending inquest | — | — | |
| Ben Foley | HMP Exeter | Self-inflicted | Published | — | — |
| Philip Eldridge | HMP The Verne | Pending inquest | — | — | |
| Brian Haines | HMP Five Wells | In progress | — | — | |
| David McVicker | HMP Channings Wood | Pending inquest | — | — | |
| Andrew Savage | HMP Channings Wood | In progress | — | — | |
| Paul Thompson | HMP Norwich | Pending inquest | — | — | |
| Alfred Grimble | HMP Norwich | In progress | — | — | |
| Nathaniel Peter | HMP Thameside | Pending inquest | — | — | |
| Adrian O’Reilly | HMP Littlehey | In progress | — | — | |
| Khia Dawe | HMP Exeter | Pending inquest | — | — | |
| Kenneth Pickering | HMP Lincoln | In progress | — | — | |
| Emmett Morrison | HMP Long Lartin | Self-inflicted | Published | — | — |
| Richard Scaife | HMP Isle of Wight | In progress | — | — | |
| Chay Bignell | HMP Swaleside | Pending inquest | — | — | |
| Shannon Woodhall | HMP/YOI Eastwood Park | In progress | — | — | |
| Michael Hobbs | HMP Thameside | In progress | — | — |