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 Baptiste | HMP Swaleside | Other | Published | 31 Oct 2023 | 4 |
| Thomas McMahon | HMP Nottingham | Other | Published | 31 Oct 2023 | 1 |
| Michael Waters | HMP Dartmoor | Natural | Published | 29 Oct 2023 | — |
| Jonathan Leask | HMP Winchester | Self-inflicted | Published | 28 Oct 2023 | — |
| Frederick Vickery | HMP Dartmoor | Natural | Published | 27 Oct 2023 | — |
| Davey Price | HMP Forest Bank | Self-inflicted | Published | 27 Oct 2023 | 3 |
| Coleman, Kevin | HMP Wymott | Natural | Published | 25 Oct 2023 | — |
| Karl Quincey | HMP Wakefield | Self-inflicted | Published | 21 Oct 2023 | 2 |
| John Kenny | HMP/YOI Parc | Natural | Published | 21 Oct 2023 | 1 |
| Roy Whitehouse | HMP Oakwood | Natural | Published | 21 Oct 2023 | 2 |
| Scott Berry | HMP Humber | Self-inflicted | Published | 21 Oct 2023 | — |
| Susan Truscott | HMP Peterborough | Natural | Published | 21 Oct 2023 | — |
| George Haslam | HMP Wymott | Natural | Published | 21 Oct 2023 | 1 |
| Raymond Catchpole | HMP Durham | Natural | Published | 20 Oct 2023 | — |
| Sean Harknett | HMP Rye Hill | Natural | Published | 20 Oct 2023 | — |
| Lucas Kidd | HMP Ranby | Other | Published | 19 Oct 2023 | 2 |
| Jonathan Lawlor | HMP Elmley | Other | Published | 19 Oct 2023 | — |
| Steven Lee | HMP Preston | Natural | Published | 19 Oct 2023 | 2 |
| Daniel Beresford | HMP Chelmsford | Self-inflicted | Published | 15 Oct 2023 | 1 |
| Andrew Hague | HMP Wealstun | Other | Published | 15 Oct 2023 | 2 |
| Gavin Cox | HMP Wymott | Self-inflicted | Published | 14 Oct 2023 | 1 |
| William Bissett | HMP Wymott | Self-inflicted | Published | 13 Oct 2023 | — |
| Ricky Crosher | HMP Lowdham Grange | Self-inflicted | Published | 11 Oct 2023 | 3 |
| David Leach | HMP Ashfield | Natural | Published | 10 Oct 2023 | — |
| John Brumpton | HMP Holme House | Natural | Published | 9 Oct 2023 | — |
| Giles Harvey | HMP Dovegate | Self-inflicted | Published | 9 Oct 2023 | 1 |
| Gallop, David | HMP Forest Bank | Natural | Published | 7 Oct 2023 | — |
| Leo Henshaw | HMP Bristol | Self-inflicted | Published | 7 Oct 2023 | — |
| Muxsin Awjama | HMP Nottingham | Self-inflicted | Published | 5 Oct 2023 | 2 |
| David Nash | HMP Bure | Natural | Published | 2 Oct 2023 | — |
| William Smith | Landguard Road | Natural | Published | 1 Oct 2023 | — |
| Jason Lyons | HMP Brixton | Other | Published | 26 Sep 2023 | — |
| Matthews, Elliot | HMP Preston | Natural | Published | 26 Sep 2023 | — |
| Wayne Simmonds | HMP Leyhill | Natural | Published | 22 Sep 2023 | — |
| Donald Willis | HMP Isle of Wight | Natural | Published | 21 Sep 2023 | — |
| Julian Woollon | HMP Channings Wood | Self-inflicted | Published | 21 Sep 2023 | — |
| Jones, Richard | HMP Littlehey | Natural | Published | 16 Sep 2023 | — |
| Philip Sleigh | HMP Littlehey | Natural | Published | 16 Sep 2023 | — |
| David Marshall | HMP Hull | Natural | Published | 16 Sep 2023 | — |
| Darren Barker | HMP Peterborough | Natural | Published | 12 Sep 2023 | 2 |
| Colin Black | HMP Bullingdon | Other | Published | 11 Sep 2023 | — |
| Bull, Malcolm | HMP Stocken | Natural | Published | 10 Sep 2023 | — |
| Piotr Zmijewski | HMP Maidstone | Self-inflicted | Published | 9 Sep 2023 | 3 |
| Stephen Bird | HMP Altcourse | Self-inflicted | Published | 8 Sep 2023 | — |
| John Woodland | HMP Frankland | Natural | Published | 5 Sep 2023 | 3 |
| James Wood | HMP Hull | Natural | Published | 4 Sep 2023 | 1 |
| Thomas Dowson | HMP/YOI Doncaster | Other | Published | 2 Sep 2023 | — |
| John Sykes | HMP Holme House | Natural | Published | 31 Aug 2023 | — |
| Mapp, Theophilus | HMP Birmingham | Natural | Published | 29 Aug 2023 | — |
| Declan Carr | HMP Humber | Self-inflicted | Published | 28 Aug 2023 | — |