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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Christopher Tatton | HMP Rye Hill | Natural | Published | 28 Feb 2025 | 1 |
| Melissa Ridley | HMP/YOI Low Newton | Other | Published | 27 Feb 2025 | — |
| Peter Lunt | HMP Altcourse | Natural | Published | 23 Feb 2025 | — |
| Raymond Connor | HMP Whatton | Natural | Published | 22 Feb 2025 | 2 |
| Paul Skinner | HMP Forest Bank | Other | Published | 21 Feb 2025 | — |
| Samuel Richards | HMP Elmley | Other | Published | 20 Feb 2025 | — |
| Terence Townsend | HMP Buckley Hall | Natural | Published | 15 Feb 2025 | — |
| Gerald Ludlam | HMP The Verne | Natural | Published | 13 Feb 2025 | — |
| Timothy Frank | HMP Ranby | Natural | Published | 10 Feb 2025 | 2 |
| Raymond Kingsland | HMP Holme House | Natural | Published | 6 Feb 2025 | — |
| Michael Tate | HMP Gartree | Natural | Published | 6 Feb 2025 | 2 |
| Christopher Walton | HMP Ranby | Natural | Published | 6 Feb 2025 | 7 |
| Peter Turner | HMP Swaleside | Natural | Published | 6 Feb 2025 | — |
| Bryn Tomaz-Daniels | HMP Warren Hill | Natural | Published | 5 Feb 2025 | — |
| Darren Stapleton | HMP Peterborough | Natural | Published | 4 Feb 2025 | 1 |
| Peter Masterson | HMP Wakefield | Natural | Published | 3 Feb 2025 | — |
| Robert Kalton | HMP Dovegate | Natural | Published | 2 Feb 2025 | — |
| Lee Hartley | HMP/YOI Doncaster | Other | Published | 31 Jan 2025 | — |
| David Crowther | HMP Leeds | Natural | Published | 31 Jan 2025 | — |
| Waldemar Pniewski | HMP Littlehey | Natural | Published | 27 Jan 2025 | — |
| Lorna Carter | HMP/YOI Styal | Natural | Published | 27 Jan 2025 | 1 |
| Brian Kemp | HMP Fosse Way | Natural | Published | 26 Jan 2025 | 3 |
| Lukasz Strag | HMP Birmingham | Natural | Published | 26 Jan 2025 | — |
| Colin Price | HMP Birmingham | Natural | Published | 23 Jan 2025 | — |
| Paul Edmunds | HMP Long Lartin | Natural | Published | 22 Jan 2025 | — |
| Stephen Blackwell | HMP Oakwood | Natural | Published | 18 Jan 2025 | 1 |
| Mark Hayes | HMP Berwyn | Natural | Published | 17 Jan 2025 | — |
| Mark Richards | HMP/YOI High Down | Natural | Published | 17 Jan 2025 | — |
| Adam Benton | HMP Stafford | Natural | Published | 15 Jan 2025 | — |
| Christopher Randall | HMP Birmingham | Other | Published | 11 Jan 2025 | — |
| Edgar Fairhurst | HMP Gartree | Natural | Published | 11 Jan 2025 | — |
| James Farrell | HMP Forest Bank | Natural | Published | 8 Jan 2025 | — |
| John Trow | HMP Wymott | Natural | Published | 8 Jan 2025 | — |
| Leslie Ginger | HMP Peterborough | Natural | Published | 7 Jan 2025 | — |
| Alan Hughes | HMP Risley | Natural | Published | 6 Jan 2025 | 2 |
| Kenneth Lea | HMP Risley | Natural | Published | 4 Jan 2025 | — |
| Earl Johnson | HMP Birmingham | Natural | Published | 3 Jan 2025 | — |
| Jefferey Earp | HMP Wealstun | Natural | Published | 2 Jan 2025 | 1 |
| Brian Hayes | HMP/YOI High Down | Natural | Published | 1 Jan 2025 | 1 |
| Mark Saville | HMP Stafford | Natural | Published | 28 Dec 2024 | — |
| Shaun Clare | HMP Altcourse | Other | Published | 26 Dec 2024 | — |
| Donald Eaton | HMP Holme House | Natural | Published | 25 Dec 2024 | — |
| Alex Davies | HMP/YOI Styal | Self-inflicted | Published | 24 Dec 2024 | 2 |
| Douglas Clayton | HMP Frankland | Natural | Published | 22 Dec 2024 | — |
| Patrick Horner | HMP Leeds | Natural | Published | 21 Dec 2024 | — |
| Harold Rushton | HMP Stafford | Natural | Published | 20 Dec 2024 | — |
| John Simpson | HMP Altcourse | Natural | Published | 17 Dec 2024 | — |
| David Venables | HMP Stoke Heath | Natural | Published | 16 Dec 2024 | — |
| Robert Lonsdale | HMP Lewes | Natural | Published | 14 Dec 2024 | — |
| Graham Glennie | HMP Whatton | Natural | Published | 7 Dec 2024 | — |