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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stanley Richardson | HMP Garth | Pending inquest | — | — | |
| Isaiah Olugosi | HMP Wormwood Scrubs | Pending inquest | — | — | |
| Michael Fensom | HMP Littlehey | Pending inquest | — | — | |
| William Clark | HMP Wormwood Scrubs | Pending inquest | — | — | |
| Liban Bore | HMP Belmarsh | Pending inquest | — | — | |
| Matthew Harris | HMP Hull | Pending inquest | — | — | |
| Thomas James | HMP Wandsworth | In progress | — | — | |
| John Shannon | HMP Bure | In progress | — | — | |
| Jordan Harvey | HMP Humber | Pending inquest | — | — | |
| David Ridgeway | HMP/YOI Parc | Pending inquest | — | — | |
| Vasilev Pachev | HMP Wormwood Scrubs | Pending inquest | — | — | |
| Andrew Thompson | HMP/YOI Doncaster | Natural | Published | — | — |
| Colin McSweeny | HMP Gartree | Pending inquest | — | — | |
| Ben Merritt | In progress | — | — | ||
| John Cox | HMP Bristol | Pending inquest | — | — | |
| Matthew Bryant | HMP Channings Wood | In progress | — | — | |
| Dean Boness | In progress | — | — | ||
| Daniel Serban | HMP Lewes | Pending inquest | — | — | |
| Stephen Ansbro | HMP Frankland | In progress | — | — | |
| Rebecca Oliver | HMP Wakefield | In progress | — | — | |
| Thomas McMurray | HMP Brixton | Pending inquest | — | — | |
| David Jervis | HMP Liverpool | Pending inquest | — | — | |
| Daniel Farrier | HMP Garth | In progress | — | — | |
| Lawrence Hunter | HMP Ranby | Pending inquest | — | — | |
| Warren Manners | HMP/YOI Parc | Pending inquest | — | — | |
| Wayne Cooper | HMP Onley | Pending inquest | — | — | |
| Emma Borowy | HMP/YOI New Hall | Pending inquest | — | — | |
| Scarlet Witch | HMP Send | Pending inquest | — | — | |
| Colin Clapham | HMP Littlehey | In progress | — | — | |
| William Hardacre | HMP Nottingham | In progress | — | — | |
| Lisa Clarke | HMP/YOI Styal | In progress | — | — | |
| Mark Merron | HMP Gartree | Pending inquest | — | — | |
| Shamraze Hussain | HMP/YOI Doncaster | In progress | — | — | |
| Brian Sheridan | HMP Liverpool | In progress | — | — | |
| Tony Phillips | HMP Frankland | In progress | — | — | |
| Jonathan Ross | HMP Highpoint | Pending inquest | — | — | |
| William Glasgow | HMP Wymott | Pending inquest | — | — | |
| Thomas Brain | HMP Winchester | In progress | — | — | |
| Moses Hailemichel | HMP Pentonville | Pending inquest | — | — | |
| John Bain | HMP The Mount | Pending inquest | — | — | |
| Radoslaw Czubinski | HMP Hull | Pending inquest | — | — | |
| Wesley Martin | HMP Lincoln | Pending inquest | — | — | |
| Andrew Newton | HMP Leicester | In progress | — | — | |
| Kamal Uddin | HMP Wandsworth | In progress | — | — | |
| Leslie Fry | HMP Hewell | In progress | — | — | |
| Leon Coombes | HMP Winchester | Pending inquest | — | — | |
| Norman Heaton | HMP Full Sutton | Natural | Published | — | — |
| Thomas Spry | HMP Frankland | In progress | — | — | |
| Ryan Martin | HMP Winchester | Pending inquest | — | — | |
| Ian Henderson | HMP Isle of Wight | Natural | Published | — | — |