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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Amy Cross | HMP/YOI Eastwood Park | Other | Published | 10 Jun 2023 | 2 |
| Kirsten Hocking | HMP/YOI Downview | Other | Published | 24 May 2023 | 2 |
| Michael Kinnear | HMP Wymott | Natural | Published | 11 May 2023 | 1 |
| Steven Blake | HMP Haverigg | Self-inflicted | Published | 28 Apr 2023 | 2 |
| Frank Ospina | Colnbrook Immigration Removal Centre | Self-inflicted | Published | 26 Mar 2023 | 4 |
| Michael Tucker | HMP Wayland | Self-inflicted | Published | 22 Mar 2023 | 2 |
| Tucker, Michael | HMP Wayland | Self-inflicted | Published | 22 Mar 2023 | 2 |
| Lee Walker | Clarks House Approved Premises | Other | Published | 13 Mar 2023 | 1 |
| Keith Gadd | HMP Bristol | Self-inflicted | Published | 9 Mar 2023 | 2 |
| Christopher Corkill | Isle of Man | Self-inflicted | Published | 24 Feb 2023 | 15 |
| Reece Godward | HMP Leeds | Self-inflicted | Published | 23 Feb 2023 | 2 |
| Jamie Andrews | HMP Bristol | Natural | Published | 4 Dec 2022 | 2 |
| John Eyre | HMP Swaleside | Natural | Published | 20 Nov 2022 | 1 |
| Ian Kettles | HMP Bristol | Self-inflicted | Published | 11 Nov 2022 | 4 |
| Russell Irvine | HMP Durham | Self-inflicted | Published | 7 Nov 2022 | 5 |
| Colin Lovett | HMP The Verne | Self-inflicted | Published | 29 Oct 2022 | 4 |
| Anderson Barker | HMP Peterborough | Natural | Published | 21 Oct 2022 | 2 |
| John Warry | HMP Stafford | Natural | Published | 25 Sep 2022 | 10 |
| Christopher Keeling | HMP/YOI Doncaster | Self-inflicted | Published | 18 Sep 2022 | 3 |
| Lisa Sherrington | HMP/YOI Low Newton | Natural | Published | 26 Aug 2022 | 1 |
| Max Marchant | HMP The Mount | Other | Published | 25 Jul 2022 | 13 |
| Leon Cadman | HMP Peterborough | Natural | Published | 12 Jul 2022 | 4 |
| Kayleigh Melhuish | HMP/YOI Eastwood Park | Self-inflicted | Published | 7 Jul 2022 | 8 |
| Huston, Trevor | HMP Forest Bank | Natural | Published | 4 Jun 2022 | 5 |
| Ricardo Cotteral | HMP Sudbury | Homicide | Published | 24 Apr 2022 | 5 |
| Mehrban Hussain | HMP Wormwood Scrubs | Natural | Published | 1 Apr 2022 | 5 |
| Gordon Dunn | HMP The Verne | Natural | Published | 31 Mar 2022 | 5 |
| Aaron Bridges | Albion Street Approved Premises | Self-inflicted | Published | 17 Jan 2022 | 1 |
| Blake Wallis | HMP Lincoln | Self-inflicted | Published | 3 Jan 2022 | 1 |
| David Wise | HMP Wandsworth | Other | Published | 15 Dec 2021 | 2 |
| Ian Davies | HMP Bristol | Self-inflicted | Published | 6 Dec 2021 | 7 |
| William Roalfe | HMP Channings Wood | Natural | Published | 20 Nov 2021 | 9 |
| Paul Gobell | HMP Whatton | Self-inflicted | Published | 6 Nov 2021 | 3 |
| Ryan Harris | HMP Cardiff | Self-inflicted | Published | 1 Oct 2021 | 3 |
| Keith Williams | HMP Dovegate | Self-inflicted | Published | 12 Jul 2021 | 14 |
| Akhtar Hussain | HMP Manchester | Self-inflicted | Published | 8 Jul 2021 | 12 |
| Shahrooz Ghassemian | HMP Wandsworth | Self-inflicted | Published | 21 Jun 2021 | 10 |
| Robert Stephens | HMP The Verne | Natural | Published | 28 May 2021 | 5 |
| Sebastião Lucas | HMP Wandsworth | Self-inflicted | Published | 12 May 2021 | 6 |
| Peter Coulthard | HMP Whatton | Natural | Published | 23 Mar 2021 | 4 |
| George Petrou | HMP Pentonville | Self-inflicted | Published | 1 Mar 2021 | 7 |
| Marek Witulski | HMP Peterborough | Self-inflicted | Published | 9 Jul 2020 | 5 |
| Carl Kent | HMP Dartmoor | Self-inflicted | Published | 21 May 2020 | 4 |
| Ryan Nash | HMP Bedford | Self-inflicted | Published | 30 Apr 2020 | 10 |
| Alex John | HMP Pentonville | Natural | Published | 13 Jan 2020 | 2 |
| Alan Johnston | HMP Liverpool | Self-inflicted | Published | 27 Nov 2019 | 5 |
| Jason Birch | HMP Whitemoor | Self-inflicted | Published | 26 Sep 2019 | 5 |
| Daniel Short | Glogan House Approved Premises | Other | Published | 14 Aug 2019 | 8 |
| Frederick Heard | HMP/YOI Parc | Natural | Published | 9 Aug 2019 | 4 |
| Davide Parra | HMP Erlestoke | Self-inflicted | Published | 5 Aug 2019 | 4 |