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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Daniel Childs | HMP Bristol | Pending inquest | — | — | |
| Billy-Jo Howe | HMP/YOI Eastwood Park | In progress | — | — | |
| Kian Parmee | HMP Swansea | Pending inquest | — | — | |
| Mark Jones | HMP Oakwood | In progress | — | — | |
| Martin Ramus | HMP Exeter | Pending inquest | — | — | |
| Nigel Keenan | HMP Haverigg | Pending inquest | — | — | |
| James Goulding | HMP Featherstone | Pending inquest | — | — | |
| David Ridgway | HMP/YOI Parc | In progress | — | — | |
| Anthony Miles | HMP Hewell | In progress | — | — | |
| Charlie Leat | HMP Exeter | In progress | — | — | |
| Paul Withnell | HMP/YOI Parc | In progress | — | — | |
| Quomars Haghighi | HMP The Mount | Pending inquest | — | — | |
| Alfred Davies | HMP Usk | In progress | — | — | |
| David Jervis | HMP Liverpool | Pending inquest | — | — | |
| David Cleaton | HMP Thameside | Pending inquest | — | — | |
| Walber Cordeiro-Goncalves | HMP Rochester | In progress | — | — | |
| Brian White | HMP Featherstone | Pending inquest | — | — | |
| Michael Lunt | HMP Liverpool | Self-inflicted | Published | — | — |
| Waleed Ali | HMP Wandsworth | Self-inflicted | Published | — | 1 |
| Bernard Grainger | HMP Hull | In progress | — | — | |
| Glyn Thomas | HMP Holme House | Natural | Published | — | — |
| Christopher Sanderson | HMP Hull | In progress | — | — | |
| Martyn Woods | HMP Wymott | Natural | Published | — | — |
| Aaron House | HMP Cookham Wood | In progress | — | — | |
| Kenneth Grubb | HMP Five Wells | In progress | — | — | |
| Thomas Ruggiero | HMP Swaleside | Self-inflicted | Published | — | 5 |
| Sam Jones | HMP Isle of Wight | Natural | Published | — | — |
| Anthony Foster | HMP Five Wells | Natural | Published | — | — |
| Shareen Akhtar | HMP/YOI Foston Hall | In progress | — | — | |
| Donald Glenn | HMP Wymott | Natural | Published | — | — |
| Michael Shilton | HMP Stafford | Natural | Published | — | — |
| Rebecca Oliver | HMP Wakefield | In progress | — | — | |
| William Hardacre | HMP Nottingham | In progress | — | — | |
| Daniel Alexander | HMP Long Lartin | Pending inquest | — | — | |
| George Hall | HMP Littlehey | Pending inquest | — | — | |
| John Slater | HMP Norwich | In progress | — | — | |
| Darren Snowdon | HMP Ranby | In progress | — | — | |
| Reuben Rhodes | HMP Nottingham | In progress | — | — | |
| Peter Magloire | HMP Wormwood Scrubs | Self-inflicted | Published | — | 3 |
| Kamal Uddin | HMP Wandsworth | In progress | — | — | |
| Mohid Ali | HMP Pentonville | In progress | — | — | |
| Richard Pinder | HMP Leeds | In progress | — | — | |
| Kevin Richardson | HMP Preston | Pending inquest | — | — | |
| Jake Whelan | HMP Gartree | Pending inquest | — | — | |
| Darren Clarke | HMP The Verne | Pending inquest | — | — | |
| Andrew Thompson | HMP/YOI Doncaster | Natural | Published | — | — |
| Darren Cleaver | HMP/YOI Portland | In progress | — | — | |
| Paul Jones | HMP Lewes | Pending inquest | — | — | |
| Paul Hoskins | HMP Bedford | In progress | — | — | |
| Wayne Hewison | HMP Dovegate | In progress | — | — |