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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Matthew Hayward | HMP Peterborough | Pending inquest | — | — | |
| David Holyoak | HMP Berwyn | Pending inquest | — | — | |
| Kyle Watts | Deer Park Approved Premises | In progress | — | — | |
| David Wood | HMP Oakwood | In progress | — | — | |
| David Hancock | HMP Nottingham | Pending inquest | — | — | |
| Wesley Martin | HMP Lincoln | Pending inquest | — | — | |
| Jacob Blow | HMP Exeter | Pending inquest | — | — | |
| George Armstrong | HMP Holme House | Pending inquest | — | — | |
| Paul Miller | HMP Kirklevington Grange | Pending inquest | — | — | |
| Nelson Harvey | HMP Long Lartin | Self-inflicted | Published | — | — |
| Michael Davies | HMP Rye Hill | Pending inquest | — | — | |
| Jeffrey Long | HMP/YOI Moorland | In progress | — | — | |
| John Casey | HMP Birmingham | In progress | — | — | |
| Carl Hyde | HMP Stocken | Pending inquest | — | — | |
| Jason Walker | HMP Lincoln | Pending inquest | — | — | |
| John Digweed | HMP Garth | Pending inquest | — | — | |
| Michael Beer | HMP Cardiff | Pending inquest | — | — | |
| Khia Dawe | HMP Exeter | Pending inquest | — | — | |
| David Kettle | HMP Erlestoke | Pending inquest | — | — | |
| Richard Littlewood | HMP/YOI Moorland | Pending inquest | — | — | |
| Cameran Anthony | HMP/YOI Parc | Pending inquest | — | — | |
| Wayne Domeney | HMP Isle of Wight | Pending inquest | — | — | |
| Hallum Elgood | HMP Norwich | Self-inflicted | Published | — | — |
| Peter Dodd | HMP North Sea Camp | Pending inquest | — | — | |
| Glenn Brown | Holbeck House Approved Premises | Pending inquest | — | — | |
| Billy-Jo Howe | HMP/YOI Eastwood Park | In progress | — | — | |
| William Clark | HMP Wormwood Scrubs | Pending inquest | — | — | |
| Darren Thomas | HMP/YOI Parc | In progress | — | — | |
| Thomas Griffiths | Pending inquest | — | — | ||
| Matthew Harris | HMP Hull | Pending inquest | — | — | |
| Thomas James | HMP Wandsworth | In progress | — | — | |
| John Shannon | HMP Bure | In progress | — | — | |
| Robert Wiseman | Lightfoot House Approved Premises | In progress | — | — | |
| Uttam Thapa | HMP Belmarsh | Pending inquest | — | — | |
| Gerald Martin | HMP Wymott | In progress | — | — | |
| Gareth Jones | HMP Peterborough | Pending inquest | — | — | |
| Andrew Cox | HMP Guys Marsh | Pending inquest | — | — | |
| Emmett Morrison | HMP Long Lartin | Self-inflicted | Published | — | — |
| Mahir Abdulrahman | HMP Fosse Way | In progress | — | — | |
| Reuben Rhodes | HMP Nottingham | In progress | — | — | |
| Connor Bresland | HMP Exeter | In progress | — | — | |
| Derrion Adams | HMP Birmingham | Pending inquest | — | — | |
| Paul Griffiths | HMP Wymott | In progress | — | — | |
| Colin Storey | HMP Northumberland | Self-inflicted | Published | — | — |
| Billy Payne | HMP Belmarsh | In progress | — | — | |
| Craig Watson | HMP/YOI Doncaster | In progress | — | — | |
| Ben Merritt | In progress | — | — | ||
| Nicholas Brown | HMP Isle of Wight | Pending inquest | — | — | |
| Michael Maharaj | HMP Brixton | Pending inquest | — | — | |
| Adam Clark | HMP Hewell | Pending inquest | — | — |