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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Michael Crews | HMP Oakwood | Natural | Published | 4 Jun 2024 | — |
| Andrew Barraclough | HMP Stafford | Natural | Published | 30 May 2024 | — |
| Malcolm Fairley | HMP Hull | Natural | Published | 28 May 2024 | — |
| Eric Pyle | HMP Littlehey | Natural | Published | 28 May 2024 | 1 |
| Lewis Brown | HMP Birmingham | Self-inflicted | Published | 27 May 2024 | 3 |
| David Baxter | HMP Wealstun | Natural | Published | 26 May 2024 | 5 |
| Michael Johnson | HMP Altcourse | Other | Published | 25 May 2024 | — |
| Daniel Evans | HMP Stoke Heath | Natural | Published | 22 May 2024 | — |
| Edward Lomas | HMP Pentonville | Self-inflicted | Published | 22 May 2024 | 4 |
| Jamie Scargill | HMP Lincoln | Self-inflicted | Published | 20 May 2024 | — |
| Rakeem Malik | HMP Long Lartin | Natural | Published | 20 May 2024 | 1 |
| Catherine Botwright | HMP/YOI New Hall | Natural | Published | 18 May 2024 | 1 |
| Helena Viljoen | HMP Bronzefield | Natural | Published | 17 May 2024 | — |
| Sebastian Szlaski | HMP Long Lartin | Natural | Published | 17 May 2024 | — |
| Daniel Swierczek | HMP Ranby | Other | Published | 17 May 2024 | — |
| Richard Keeling | HMP Stafford | Natural | Published | 17 May 2024 | — |
| Brian Burrows | HMP Leeds | Self-inflicted | Published | 15 May 2024 | 3 |
| Igor Vujkovic | HMP Maidstone | Natural | Published | 11 May 2024 | 4 |
| David Maggs | HMP/YOI Parc | Natural | Published | 7 May 2024 | 1 |
| Stephen Jones | HMP Peterborough | Natural | Published | 5 May 2024 | 3 |
| Victor Farrant | HMP Wakefield | Natural | Published | 3 May 2024 | — |
| Robert Connolly | HMP Featherstone | Self-inflicted | Published | 29 Apr 2024 | — |
| Rhys Willis | HMP Cardiff | Other | Published | 29 Apr 2024 | — |
| Renny Edwards | HMP Swansea | Other | Published | 25 Apr 2024 | 1 |
| Stephen Dixon | HMP Nottingham | Other | Published | 23 Apr 2024 | — |
| James Murphy | HMP Brixton | Other | Published | 23 Apr 2024 | — |
| Lee Amos | HMP Oakwood | Natural | Published | 22 Apr 2024 | — |
| Raymond Cheshire | HMP Peterborough | Natural | Published | 21 Apr 2024 | — |
| Richard Cosgrove | HMP Humber | Other | Published | 18 Apr 2024 | 2 |
| Victor Todd | HMP/YOI Moorland | Natural | Published | 14 Apr 2024 | — |
| Anthony Payne | HMP Forest Bank | Other | Published | 8 Apr 2024 | — |
| Ross Parker | HMP Holme House | Other | Published | 7 Apr 2024 | — |
| Malcolm Burwood | HMP Holme House | Natural | Published | 7 Apr 2024 | — |
| Damian Round | HMP Nottingham | Natural | Published | 7 Apr 2024 | — |
| Mark Johnston | HMP Swansea | Other | Published | 7 Apr 2024 | 2 |
| David Leary | HMP Wymott | Natural | Published | 5 Apr 2024 | — |
| Luke Sykes | HMP Ranby | Self-inflicted | Published | 5 Apr 2024 | — |
| Rana Khan | HMP Wandsworth | Natural | Published | 5 Apr 2024 | 4 |
| Graham Daggett | HMP Lincoln | Natural | Published | 3 Apr 2024 | 1 |
| Sean Spencer | Ty Newydd Approved Premises | Other | Published | 31 Mar 2024 | — |
| David Pates | HMP Birmingham | Natural | Published | 28 Mar 2024 | — |
| William Jolly | HMP Wymott | Natural | Published | 26 Mar 2024 | — |
| David Butler | HMP Holme House | Natural | Published | 25 Mar 2024 | — |
| Kenneth Barnes | HMP Manchester | Natural | Published | 25 Mar 2024 | — |
| Bernard Grace | HMP Forest Bank | Natural | Published | 25 Mar 2024 | — |
| Stephen Smith | HMP Liverpool | Natural | Published | 24 Mar 2024 | 2 |
| Barry Rossiter | HMP Northumberland | Natural | Published | 23 Mar 2024 | 2 |
| Neil McCarthy | HMP Hollesley Bay | Other | Published | 20 Mar 2024 | — |
| Garth Walker | HMP Altcourse | Natural | Published | 17 Mar 2024 | — |
| Mohammed Ahmed | HMP Frankland | Self-inflicted | Published | 13 Mar 2024 | — |