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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Andrew Behan | HMP Stoke Heath | In progress | — | — | |
| Myles Filose | HMP Winchester | Natural | Published | — | — |
| David Loch | HMP Lowdham Grange | Pending inquest | — | — | |
| Anthony Wray | HMP Swansea | In progress | — | — | |
| Siobhan Cox | Hestia Highbury | In progress | — | — | |
| Ashley Shaw | HMP Fosse Way | Pending inquest | — | — | |
| James Glendenning | HMP Manchester | Pending inquest | — | — | |
| Andrew Marsh | HMP Onley | Pending inquest | — | — | |
| Nicholas Robinson | HMP Oakwood | Pending inquest | — | — | |
| Darren Russell | HMP Holme House | In progress | — | — | |
| Anthony Bugingo | HMP Thameside | In progress | — | — | |
| James Rutherford | HMP Humber | In progress | — | — | |
| Kevin Lees | HMP Sudbury | Pending inquest | — | — | |
| John Boswell | HMP Five Wells | In progress | — | — | |
| Mohammad Khaliq | HMP Hull | In progress | — | — | |
| David Walpole | HMP Lowdham Grange | Pending inquest | — | — | |
| Anthony Strand | HMP Risley | In progress | — | — | |
| David Benson | HMP Leeds | Pending inquest | — | — | |
| William Reynolds | HMP Leyhill | Natural | Published | — | — |
| David Sharp | HMP Littlehey | Pending inquest | — | — | |
| Akiel Flemming | HMP Wakefield | In progress | — | — | |
| Louis Maniatt | Ty Newydd Approved Premises | Pending inquest | — | — | |
| Carl Mason | HMP Liverpool | Pending inquest | — | — | |
| Anthony Bell | HMP Hewell | In progress | — | — | |
| John Rytting | HMP Hull | In progress | — | — | |
| Pawel Kowalski | HMP Winchester | Pending inquest | — | — | |
| Kevin Nolan | HMP Coldingley | Pending inquest | — | — | |
| Joe Lynch | HMP Leeds | Pending inquest | — | — | |
| Morgan Sullivan | HMP Wandsworth | Pending inquest | — | — | |
| Paul Miller | HMP Kirklevington Grange | Pending inquest | — | — | |
| McCauley Doran | HMP Brinsford | Pending inquest | — | — | |
| Clare Dupree | HMP/YOI Eastwood Park | Pending inquest | — | — | |
| Georgie Smith | HMP Bristol | Self-inflicted | Published | — | — |
| Michael Smith | HMP Norwich | Pending inquest | — | — | |
| Adam Diesa-Green | HMP Lowdham Grange | Other | Published | — | — |
| Paul Deville | HMP Manchester | Natural | Published | — | — |
| Stanley Brown | HMP Liverpool | In progress | — | — | |
| Leon Austin | HMP/YOI Doncaster | Pending inquest | — | — | |
| Kelly Day | HMP Bronzefield | In progress | — | — | |
| Joseph McEnroe | HMP Isle of Wight | In progress | — | — | |
| Fedor Bryant-Dantes | HMP Ford | In progress | — | — | |
| Andrew Neal | HMP Wayland | Pending inquest | — | — | |
| Juan Garcia Hernandez | HMP Garth | In progress | — | — | |
| Trevor Wiggan | HMP Garth | Pending inquest | — | — | |
| Robbie Northridge | HMP Lowdham Grange | Pending inquest | — | — | |
| Lee Peacock | HMP Long Lartin | Pending inquest | — | — | |
| Gary Taylor | HMP Littlehey | Natural | Published | — | — |
| Denis Passingham | HMP Highpoint | Pending inquest | — | — | |
| Craig Gordon | HMP Wandsworth | Pending inquest | — | — | |
| Jason Mortimer | HMP Hull | Pending inquest | — | — |