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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aaron Metcalf | HMP/YOI Moorland | In progress | — | — | |
| Stanley Richardson | HMP Garth | In progress | — | — | |
| Gerald Martin | HMP Wymott | In progress | — | — | |
| Lewis Goulding | HMP Stoke Heath | Pending inquest | — | — | |
| George Hall | HMP Littlehey | In progress | — | — | |
| Norman Heaton | HMP Full Sutton | Pending inquest | — | — | |
| Brian David | HMP Channings Wood | Pending inquest | — | — | |
| Geoffrey Bradley | HMP Elmley | In progress | — | — | |
| Gordon Suckley | HMP Channings Wood | Pending inquest | — | — | |
| Steven Davidson | HMP Chelmsford | Pending inquest | — | — | |
| Arnol Micolta Tovar | HMP Wormwood Scrubs | In progress | — | — | |
| Stephen Ansbro | HMP Frankland | In progress | — | — | |
| Adam Goulding | Albion Street Approved Premises | In progress | — | — | |
| Shamraze Hussain | HMP/YOI Doncaster | In progress | — | — | |
| Sam French | HMP Cardiff | In progress | — | — | |
| Richard Hunt | HMP Stocken | In progress | — | — | |
| Tony Chamberlain | HMP Rye Hill | Pending inquest | — | — | |
| Christopher Hennigan | HMP Manchester | In progress | — | — | |
| Dirk Weissenbruch | HMP Channings Wood | Pending inquest | — | — | |
| Geoffrey Collett | HMP Rye Hill | In progress | — | — | |
| Alan May | HMP/YOI Doncaster | In progress | — | — | |
| Danny Smith | HMP Risley | In progress | — | — | |
| Charlie Leat | HMP Exeter | In progress | — | — | |
| Shaun Grieves | HMP Garth | Pending inquest | — | — | |
| Tony Marks | HMP Brixton | Pending inquest | — | — | |
| Thomas McMurray | HMP Brixton | Pending inquest | — | — | |
| Paul Withnell | HMP/YOI Parc | In progress | — | — | |
| Robert Dearden | HMP Rye Hill | Natural | Published | — | — |
| Michael King | Brigstocke Road Approved Premises | In progress | — | — | |
| Alex Graham | HMP Thameside | In progress | — | — | |
| Simon Dunn | HMP Garth | Self-inflicted | Published | — | — |
| David Clairmonte | HMP Full Sutton | Pending inquest | — | — | |
| Shane Marchant | HMP Leeds | Pending inquest | — | — | |
| Andrew Eggington | HMP Altcourse | Pending inquest | — | — | |
| Scott Napier | HMP Swaleside | In progress | — | — | |
| Malcolm MacDougal | HMP Full Sutton | Pending inquest | — | — | |
| Wayne Price | Canadian Avenue Approved Premises | Pending inquest | — | — | |
| Bogdan-Ionut Puscasu | HMP Isle of Wight | Pending inquest | — | — | |
| Niarena Ryan-Harriott | HMP/YOI Downview | Pending inquest | — | — | |
| Dean Sykes | HMP Lindholme | In progress | — | — | |
| John Murtagh | HMP Birmingham | In progress | — | — | |
| Mesut Olgun | HMP Hewell | Self-inflicted | Published | — | — |
| Wesley Andrew | HMP Wymott | Pending inquest | — | — | |
| Davidson Charles | HMP Erlestoke | Pending inquest | — | — | |
| Steven Wood | HMP Frankland | Pending inquest | — | — | |
| Anthony Rowbotham | HMP Durham | Pending inquest | — | — | |
| Keith Whitworth | HMP Frankland | Pending inquest | — | — | |
| Philip Eldridge | HMP The Verne | Pending inquest | — | — | |
| Arthur Warwick | HMP Frankland | In progress | — | — | |
| Kasim Hussain | HMP Preston | In progress | — | — |