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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Anthony Copeland | HMP Forest Bank | Pending inquest | — | — | |
| Darren Snowdon | HMP Ranby | In progress | — | — | |
| John Sadler | HMP Liverpool | Pending inquest | — | — | |
| Phillip Lawson | HMP Wealstun | Pending inquest | — | — | |
| Tony Chamberlain | HMP Rye Hill | Pending inquest | — | — | |
| Dalton Barnett | HMP Holme House | Pending inquest | — | — | |
| Lee Wilson | HMP Leeds | Pending inquest | — | — | |
| Darryl Rees | HMP Swansea | Pending inquest | — | — | |
| Max McTaggart | HMP Erlestoke | Pending inquest | — | — | |
| Thomas Lenthall | HMP The Mount | Pending inquest | — | — | |
| Clare Dupree | HMP/YOI Eastwood Park | Pending inquest | — | — | |
| Klayton Smith | HMP Lowdham Grange | In progress | — | — | |
| Nicholas Page | HMP/YOI Parc | In progress | — | — | |
| Paul Jones | HMP Lewes | Pending inquest | — | — | |
| Rebecca McBrien | HMP/YOI New Hall | Pending inquest | — | — | |
| Stanley Hill | HMP Wakefield | In progress | — | — | |
| Gerard Doyle | HMP Lancaster Farms | Other | Published | — | — |
| Andrew Thompson | HMP/YOI Doncaster | Natural | Published | — | — |
| Samuel Ross | HMP Long Lartin | Pending inquest | — | — | |
| David Glass | HMP Altcourse | Pending inquest | — | — | |
| Ionica Profor | HMP Belmarsh | Pending inquest | — | — | |
| Philip Byers | HMP Durham | Pending inquest | — | — | |
| Brian Wade | HMP Long Lartin | Pending inquest | — | — | |
| David Benson | HMP Leeds | Pending inquest | — | — | |
| Billy Payne | HMP Belmarsh | In progress | — | — | |
| John Hyde | HMP/YOI Parc | Pending inquest | — | — | |
| Dylan McNulty | Cuthbert House Approved Premises | Pending inquest | — | — | |
| Steven Wood | HMP Winchester | Pending inquest | — | — | |
| Mark Haryett | HMP Thameside | In progress | — | — | |
| Michael Barefoot | HMP Long Lartin | In progress | — | — | |
| Sam French | HMP Cardiff | In progress | — | — | |
| Jordan Nuttall | HMP Gartree | In progress | — | — | |
| Kasey Rolfe | HMP/YOI High Down | Pending inquest | — | — | |
| William Hardacre | HMP Nottingham | In progress | — | — | |
| Derrion Adams | HMP Birmingham | Pending inquest | — | — | |
| Gareth Jones | HMP Peterborough | Pending inquest | — | — | |
| Stephen Strutt | HMP Dovegate | In progress | — | — | |
| Mohamed Bah | HMP Elmley | Pending inquest | — | — | |
| Richard Hunt | HMP Stocken | In progress | — | — | |
| Matthew Bryant | HMP Channings Wood | In progress | — | — | |
| Denis Passingham | HMP Highpoint | Pending inquest | — | — | |
| Jason Stevens | HMP Kirkham | Pending inquest | — | — | |
| Michael Maharaj | HMP Brixton | Pending inquest | — | — | |
| Jamie Hammond | HMP Bristol | Pending inquest | — | — | |
| Alan May | HMP/YOI Doncaster | In progress | — | — | |
| Khalif Abdi | HMP Wormwood Scrubs | Pending inquest | — | — | |
| Dirk Weissenbruch | HMP Channings Wood | Pending inquest | — | — | |
| Sam Jones | HMP Isle of Wight | Natural | Published | — | — |
| Solomon Loveridge | HMP Onley | Pending inquest | — | — | |
| Sam Sharpe | HMP Nottingham | In progress | — | — |