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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dean Clementson | HMP Forest Bank | Pending inquest | — | — | |
| Reuben Rhodes | HMP Nottingham | In progress | — | — | |
| Gareth Davies | HMP/YOI Parc | Pending inquest | — | — | |
| David Baxendale | HMP Frankland | In progress | — | — | |
| Stephen Nuth | HMP Pentonville | Pending inquest | — | — | |
| Fedor Bryant-Dantes | HMP Ford | In progress | — | — | |
| Michael Fensom | HMP Littlehey | Pending inquest | — | — | |
| Darren Snowdon | HMP Ranby | In progress | — | — | |
| William Prince | HMP Preston | Pending inquest | — | — | |
| Benjamin Binney | Nelson House Approved Premises | In progress | — | — | |
| Ifor Whittaker | HMP Littlehey | Pending inquest | — | — | |
| Kevin Richardson | HMP Preston | Pending inquest | — | — | |
| Keiron Birks | HMP Fosse Way | Pending inquest | — | — | |
| Geoffrey Bradley | HMP Elmley | In progress | — | — | |
| Ronald Carter | HMP Durham | Pending inquest | — | — | |
| Jordan Glover | HMP Manchester | Pending inquest | — | — | |
| Filmon Andmichaen | HMP Full Sutton | Pending inquest | — | — | |
| David Jervis | HMP Liverpool | Pending inquest | — | — | |
| Shaun Grieves | HMP Garth | Pending inquest | — | — | |
| Wesley Martin | HMP Lincoln | Pending inquest | — | — | |
| Harold Wharton | HMP Northumberland | Natural | Published | — | — |
| Eduard Millar | HMP Wymott | In progress | — | — | |
| Walber Cordeiro-Goncalves | HMP Rochester | In progress | — | — | |
| Simon Webber | HMP/YOI Portland | In progress | — | — | |
| Christopher Evans | HMP Swansea | In progress | — | — | |
| el Waleed Mohamed | HMP Thameside | Pending inquest | — | — | |
| Mason King | HMP Channings Wood | In progress | — | — | |
| Khaled Hassan | HMP Northumberland | Natural | Published | — | — |
| John Bain | HMP The Mount | Pending inquest | — | — | |
| Joseph Read | HMP Brixton | Pending inquest | — | — | |
| Khalif Abdi | HMP Wormwood Scrubs | Pending inquest | — | — | |
| Nicholas Brown | HMP Isle of Wight | Pending inquest | — | — | |
| Brian David | HMP Channings Wood | Pending inquest | — | — | |
| Steven Kempster | HMP Exeter | In progress | — | — | |
| David Ridgeway | HMP/YOI Parc | Pending inquest | — | — | |
| Rebecca Oliver | HMP Wakefield | In progress | — | — | |
| Gareth Evans | HMP/YOI Parc | In progress | — | — | |
| Alan Priestley | HMP Oakwood | In progress | — | — | |
| Shehroz Iqbal | Joyce Meggie House Approved Premises | In progress | — | — | |
| Thomas Downs | HMP Northumberland | Pending inquest | — | — | |
| Sean Sewell | HMP Thameside | In progress | — | — | |
| Matthew Royle | HMP Forest Bank | Pending inquest | — | — | |
| Maurice Mcentire | HMP Swaleside | Pending inquest | — | — | |
| Victor Rochester | HMP/YOI Parc | Pending inquest | — | — | |
| Stewart Bird | HMP Isle of Wight | Pending inquest | — | — | |
| Robert Henry Royan | HMP/YOI Parc | Pending inquest | — | — | |
| Nathaniel Peter | HMP Thameside | Pending inquest | — | — | |
| Tony Marks | HMP Brixton | Pending inquest | — | — | |
| Mark Collins | HMP Berwyn | Pending inquest | — | — | |
| Christopher Flaherty | Ascot House Approved Premises | Other | Published | — | — |