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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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 | — |
| Edgar Fairhurst | HMP Gartree | Natural | Published | 11 Jan 2025 | — |
| Christopher Randall | HMP Birmingham | Other | Published | 11 Jan 2025 | — |
| John Trow | HMP Wymott | Natural | Published | 8 Jan 2025 | — |
| James Farrell | HMP Forest Bank | 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 | — |
| David Austin | HMP Long Lartin | Natural | Published | 1 Dec 2024 | 2 |
| Sabrina Lyttle | HMP/YOI Styal | Other | Published | 30 Nov 2024 | — |
| Roberto Paguyo | HMP Wormwood Scrubs | Natural | Published | 29 Nov 2024 | — |
| Harold Nicholson | HMP Northumberland | Natural | Published | 27 Nov 2024 | — |
| Russell Tillson | HMP Littlehey | Natural | Published | 25 Nov 2024 | — |
| John Radford | HMP Peterborough | Natural | Published | 22 Nov 2024 | — |
| Simon Penton | HMP Warren Hill | Natural | Published | 14 Nov 2024 | — |
| Sean Willingale | HMP Oakwood | Natural | Published | 14 Nov 2024 | — |
| Carl Forrester | HMP Exeter | Natural | Published | 13 Nov 2024 | 2 |
| John Corran | Isle of Man | Natural | Published | 12 Nov 2024 | 1 |
| Lionel Newbon | HMP Frankland | Natural | Published | 9 Nov 2024 | 1 |
| Frederick Mills | Peterborough Approved Premises | Natural | Published | 7 Nov 2024 | — |
| John Cannan | HMP Full Sutton | Natural | Published | 6 Nov 2024 | — |
| John Whitehead | HMP Littlehey | Natural | Published | 31 Oct 2024 | — |
| John Freer | HMP Northumberland | Natural | Published | 29 Oct 2024 | 1 |
| Lee Fox | HMP Oakwood | Natural | Published | 28 Oct 2024 | — |
| Brian Walters | HMP Littlehey | Natural | Published | 27 Oct 2024 | — |
| Geoffrey Tullett | HMP Bure | Natural | Published | 26 Oct 2024 | — |
| Tasab Khan | HMP Leeds | Natural | Published | 25 Oct 2024 | — |
| Peter Hines | HMP Hewell | Natural | Published | 25 Oct 2024 | — |
| Lewis Bennett | HMP Humber | Other | Published | 21 Oct 2024 | 1 |
| Nickolas Fretwell | HMP Elmley | Self-inflicted | Published | 16 Oct 2024 | 1 |
| Stuart Greener | HMP Nottingham | Natural | Published | 16 Oct 2024 | 1 |
| Stephen McIntyre | HMP/YOI Doncaster | Other | Published | 14 Oct 2024 | — |
| Ian Waller | HMP Preston | Natural | Published | 10 Oct 2024 | — |