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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.

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Top recommendation themes

healthcare (200) safeguarding (163) emergency_response (126) record_keeping (103) policy (88) communication (88) mental_health (72) safety (69) training (63) medication (51)

Learning & thematic publications

74 cross-establishment publications

Learning Lessons Bulletins (50), thematic reviews (2), consultation responses (11), Policy into Practice (5) and annual reports (6): the systemic patterns the Ombudsman draws from many investigations.

TitleTypeDateSource
PPO response to JSC Inquiry into Children and Young Adults in the Secure Estate  Consultation response Jun 2026 PDF
Fatal Incident Investigations Learning Lessons Bulletin Issue 21: Segregation Learning Lessons Bulletin Mar 2026 PDF
Fatal Incident Investigations Learning Lessons Bulletin Issue 22: Self-inflicted deaths in reception prisons Learning Lessons Bulletin Mar 2026 PDF
Fatal Incident Investigations Learning Lessons Bulletin Issue 20: Epilepsy Learning Lessons Bulletin Nov 2025 PDF
Annual Report 2024 to 2025 Annual report Jul 2025 PDF
Policy into Practice: Handling of prisoners’ property Policy into Practice Mar 2025 PDF
Policy into Practice: Handling of property complaints Policy into Practice Mar 2025 PDF
Complaints Investigations Learning Lessons Bulletin Issue 11: Property complaints Learning Lessons Bulletin Mar 2025 PDF
PPO response to JSC Tackling Drugs in Prison Inquiry Consultation response Feb 2025 PDF
PPO response to JHAC Inquiry into Prison Culture Consultation response Feb 2025 PDF
PPO response to JSC inquiry into Rehabilitation and Resettlement Consultation response Feb 2025 PDF
Policy into Practice: Emergency Response Policy into Practice Jan 2025 PDF
PPO response to the Independent Sentencing Review 2024/25 call for evidence Consultation response Jan 2025 PDF
Fatal Incident Investigations Learning Lessons Bulletin Issue 19: Post-release death investigations 2 Learning Lessons Bulletin Jul 2024 PDF
Annual Report 2023-24 Annual report Jul 2024 PDF
Annual report 2022-23 Annual report Jul 2024 PDF
Policy into practice: Use of force Policy into Practice Feb 2024 PDF
PPO response to the inquiry into prison population and capacity Consultation response Nov 2023 PDF
Fatal Incident Investigations Learning Lessons Bulletin Issue 18: Self-inflicted deaths of IPP prisoners Learning Lessons Bulletin Sep 2023 PDF
Investigating deaths after release from prison – a pilot evaluation Learning Lessons Bulletin Jan 2023 PDF
Fatal Incident Investigations Learning Lessons Bulletin Issue 17: Post-release death investigations Learning Lessons Bulletin Jan 2023 PDF
PPO response to the inquiry into the Prison Operational Workforce Consultation response Jan 2023 PDF
Annual Report 2021-22 Annual report Oct 2022 PDF
Policy into Practice: Use of restraints on escort Policy into Practice Sep 2022 PDF
PPO Response to the Inquiry into IPP sentences Consultation response Jan 2022 PDF
Fatal Incident Investigations Learning Lessons Bulletin Issue 16: Second wave COVID-19 related deaths Learning Lessons Bulletin Dec 2021 PDF
Annual Report 2020-21 Annual report Sep 2021 PDF
PPO responses to the Inquiry into Women in Prison Consultation response Aug 2021 PDF
Fatal Incident Investigations Learning Lessons Bulletin Issue 15: COVID-19 PPO fatal incident investigations Learning Lessons Bulletin Feb 2021 PDF
Complaints Investigations Learning Lessons Bulletin Issue 10: COVID-19 PPO Complaints Learning Lessons Bulletin Dec 2020 PDF

Incidents

59 records
Name Establishment Cause Status Date of death Recs
Daniel Short Glogan House Approved Premises Other Published 14 Aug 2019 8
Paul David Horrocks HMP Thorn Cross Other Published 30 Jun 2019 7
Taras Nykolyn HMP Woodhill Homicide Published 5 Jun 2018 7
Kevin Delahunty HMP Risley Self-inflicted Published 29 Mar 2018 8
Anthony Paine HMP Liverpool Self-inflicted Published 19 Feb 2018 5
Nicola Birchall HMP/YOI Styal Other Published 4 Feb 2018 4
Paul Day HMP Sunbury Other Published 23 Mar 2017 3
Richard Hogarth HMP Risley Self-inflicted Published 14 Aug 2016 4
Aaron Nunes HMP/YOI Parc Natural Published 21 Feb 2016 25