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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Florence Johnson | HMP/YOI Styal | Self-inflicted | Published | 27 Aug 2023 | — |
| Carl Bennett | HMP Oakwood | Natural | Published | 25 Aug 2023 | 2 |
| Ian Taylor | HMP Kirkham | Natural | Published | 23 Aug 2023 | — |
| Richardson, John | Rye Hill Post-release | Natural | Published | 23 Aug 2023 | — |
| Louis Dalmasso | HMP Bristol | Other | Published | 22 Aug 2023 | — |
| Farrow, Stephen | HMP Frankland | Natural | Published | 21 Aug 2023 | — |
| Cheryl Thompson | HMP/YOI New Hall | Natural | Published | 21 Aug 2023 | — |
| Ged Corbett | HMP Thameside | Other | Published | 19 Aug 2023 | — |
| Darren Ankers | HMP Wymott | Natural | Published | 18 Aug 2023 | — |
| Bonner, Arthur | Hollesley Bay Post-release | Natural | Published | 15 Aug 2023 | — |
| Stephen Riley | HMP Bure | Natural | Published | 13 Aug 2023 | — |
| Darren Docherty | HMP Stoke Heath | Self-inflicted | Published | 10 Aug 2023 | — |
| Andrew Winspear | HMP Hull | Self-inflicted | Published | 8 Aug 2023 | 1 |
| Amer Fareed | HMP/YOI High Down | Other | Published | 8 Aug 2023 | 1 |
| Mark Apperley | HMP Long Lartin | Natural | Published | 7 Aug 2023 | 1 |
| Frank Salmon | HMP Channings Wood | Natural | Published | 6 Aug 2023 | 1 |
| Hayward, Derek | HMP Wakefield | Natural | Published | 6 Aug 2023 | — |
| Raymond Cartwright | HMP Risley | Natural | Published | 6 Aug 2023 | 2 |
| Goldburn, Brian | HMP Littlehey | Natural | Published | 2 Aug 2023 | — |
| Tunstill, Rachel | HMP Styal | Natural | Published | 1 Aug 2023 | — |
| Andrew Lancaster-Madeley | HMP Isle of Wight | Natural | Published | 29 Jul 2023 | — |
| Davina Canning | HMP Hewell | Self-inflicted | Published | 29 Jul 2023 | 3 |
| Daniel Rocks | HMP Hull | Natural | Published | 26 Jul 2023 | 1 |
| Hayes, Dennis | HMP Leeds | Natural | Published | 24 Jul 2023 | — |
| Michael Whittemore | HMP Isle of Wight | Natural | Published | 23 Jul 2023 | — |
| Katy Ross | HMP/YOI Foston Hall | Other | Published | 22 Jul 2023 | — |
| Dean Hood | HMP Nottingham | Other | Published | 22 Jul 2023 | 1 |
| Liam Darby | HMP Erlestoke | Other | Published | 21 Jul 2023 | 1 |
| James O’Brien | HMP Littlehey | Natural | Published | 18 Jul 2023 | — |
| Van Rooyen, Julian | The Mount Post-release | Other | Published | 17 Jul 2023 | — |
| John Rombach | HMP Stafford | Natural | Published | 17 Jul 2023 | 2 |
| Barry Wemyss | HMP Northumberland | Natural | Published | 17 Jul 2023 | 1 |
| Stewart Hirst | HMP Littlehey | Natural | Published | 16 Jul 2023 | — |
| Andrew Flanagan | HMP Wormwood Scrubs | Other | Published | 16 Jul 2023 | — |
| Samuel Stewart | HMP Wormwood Scrubs | Other | Published | 15 Jul 2023 | 1 |
| Anthony Milgate | HMP Swaleside | Natural | Published | 14 Jul 2023 | — |
| Boswell, Malcolm | HMP Bure | Natural | Published | 12 Jul 2023 | — |
| Cook, Robert | Bullingdon Post-release | Other | Published | 9 Jul 2023 | — |
| Lee Gilligan | HMP Forest Bank | Other | Published | 9 Jul 2023 | — |
| Anthony Kwan | HMP Channings Wood | Natural | Published | 8 Jul 2023 | 3 |
| Simon Parkinson | HMP Durham | Natural | Published | 7 Jul 2023 | 1 |
| Mark Beresford | HMP Ranby | Self-inflicted | Published | 7 Jul 2023 | 1 |
| Donald Moore | HMP Wymott | Natural | Published | 7 Jul 2023 | — |
| Colin Milner | HMP Wandsworth | Natural | Published | 5 Jul 2023 | — |
| Yousefe El Briri | HMP Woodhill | Natural | Published | 4 Jul 2023 | — |
| Liam Cronin | HMP Ranby | Other | Published | 2 Jul 2023 | — |
| Phillip Chell | HMP Oakwood | Natural | Published | 28 Jun 2023 | — |
| Warrener, Michael | HMP Holme House | Natural | Published | 26 Jun 2023 | — |
| Mark Conway | HMP Isle of Wight | Natural | Published | 25 Jun 2023 | 4 |
| Rajwinder Singh | HMP Wandsworth | Self-inflicted | Published | 25 Jun 2023 | 6 |