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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Paul Stephenson | HMP Northumberland | Other | Published | 5 Oct 2024 | — |
| John Stafford | HMP Hollesley Bay | Natural | Published | 25 Sep 2024 | — |
| Gerald Sherwin | HMP Elmley | Natural | Published | 25 Sep 2024 | — |
| Harold Day | HMP Five Wells | Natural | Published | 25 Sep 2024 | 2 |
| Nigel Feckey | HMP Fosse Way | Self-inflicted | Published | 23 Sep 2024 | 3 |
| Anthony Ferris | HMP Haverigg | Natural | Published | 18 Sep 2024 | — |
| Brian Acott | HMP Lewes | Natural | Published | 17 Sep 2024 | 2 |
| Emma Muirhead | HMP/YOI Styal | Other | Published | 13 Sep 2024 | — |
| Kunwar Patton | HMP Liverpool | Natural | Published | 11 Sep 2024 | — |
| Stephen Gedge | HMP Onley | Natural | Published | 9 Sep 2024 | — |
| Alan Hobbs | HMP Full Sutton | Natural | Published | 5 Sep 2024 | — |
| Ian Mattocks | HMP/YOI High Down | Natural | Published | 4 Sep 2024 | — |
| Eric Purkiss | HMP Wakefield | Natural | Published | 3 Sep 2024 | — |
| Donald Higginson | HMP Rye Hill | Natural | Published | 2 Sep 2024 | — |
| Warren Heller | HMP Bullingdon | Other | Published | 1 Sep 2024 | — |
| Arthur Johnson | HMP Bullingdon | Natural | Published | 28 Aug 2024 | — |
| David Moyle | HMP Littlehey | Natural | Published | 28 Aug 2024 | — |
| Derek Thompson | HMP Stafford | Natural | Published | 26 Aug 2024 | 1 |
| Sean Revere | HMP/YOI Moorland | Natural | Published | 26 Aug 2024 | — |
| Eric Stringer | HMP Wormwood Scrubs | Natural | Published | 23 Aug 2024 | 4 |
| Alexander Corbett | Fleming House Approved Premises | Self-inflicted | Published | 23 Aug 2024 | 4 |
| Derek Elener | HMP Holme House | Natural | Published | 22 Aug 2024 | — |
| David Mace | HMP Dartmoor | Natural | Published | 11 Aug 2024 | — |
| Jason Patmore | Penrose Drive Approved Premises | Other | Published | 9 Aug 2024 | — |
| Gavin Wheale | HMP Birmingham | Other | Published | 8 Aug 2024 | 1 |
| John North | HMP Northumberland | Natural | Published | 7 Aug 2024 | — |
| Mohammed Akhtar | HMP Stafford | Natural | Published | 6 Aug 2024 | — |
| Toni Campbell | HMP Bronzefield | Other | Published | 6 Aug 2024 | 1 |
| Gordon Weis | HMP The Verne | Natural | Published | 5 Aug 2024 | — |
| Colin Harding | HMP Stafford | Natural | Published | 3 Aug 2024 | 2 |
| Martin Cumiskey | HMP/YOI Doncaster | Natural | Published | 1 Aug 2024 | — |
| Sonia Little | HMP/YOI Low Newton | Other | Published | 1 Aug 2024 | — |
| Bahman Razvani | HMP Wakefield | Self-inflicted | Published | 31 Jul 2024 | — |
| Jeffrey Ford | HMP Littlehey | Natural | Published | 31 Jul 2024 | — |
| William Moore | HMP Rye Hill | Natural | Published | 29 Jul 2024 | — |
| David Evans | HMP Fosse Way | Natural | Published | 26 Jul 2024 | 2 |
| Patrick Whiting | Fleming House Approved Premises | Natural | Published | 26 Jul 2024 | 1 |
| Phillip Sheridan | HMP Full Sutton | Natural | Published | 21 Jul 2024 | 2 |
| Ming Jiang | HMP Swaleside | Natural | Published | 21 Jul 2024 | 4 |
| Alan Blake | HMP Liverpool | Natural | Published | 14 Jul 2024 | — |
| Harold Gibbons | HMP Littlehey | Natural | Published | 12 Jul 2024 | — |
| Dennis Cheeseman | HMP Littlehey | Natural | Published | 11 Jul 2024 | — |
| Michael Smith | HMP Altcourse | Natural | Published | 10 Jul 2024 | — |
| Stephen Wallwork | HMP Forest Bank | Unascertained | Published | 10 Jul 2024 | 1 |
| Michelle Saunders | HMP Littlehey | Natural | Published | 9 Jul 2024 | 1 |
| Wayne Hodgson | YOI Wetherby | Other | Published | 5 Jul 2024 | — |
| Geoffrey Holland | HMP Peterborough | Natural | Published | 4 Jul 2024 | — |
| Brian Jordan | HMP Durham | Self-inflicted | Published | 3 Jul 2024 | — |
| Raymond Paterson | HMP Fosse Way | Natural | Published | 1 Jul 2024 | 1 |
| Susan Simpson | HMP/YOI Downview | Natural | Published | 29 Jun 2024 | — |