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.

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Learning & thematic publications

74 cross-establishment publications

Learning Lessons Bulletins (50), thematic reviews (2), consultation responses (11), Policy into Practice (5) and annual reports (6): the systemic patterns the Ombudsman draws from many investigations.

TitleTypeDateSource
PPO response to JSC Inquiry into Children and Young Adults in the Secure Estate  Consultation response Jun 2026 PDF
Fatal Incident Investigations Learning Lessons Bulletin Issue 21: Segregation Learning Lessons Bulletin Mar 2026 PDF
Fatal Incident Investigations Learning Lessons Bulletin Issue 22: Self-inflicted deaths in reception prisons Learning Lessons Bulletin Mar 2026 PDF
Fatal Incident Investigations Learning Lessons Bulletin Issue 20: Epilepsy Learning Lessons Bulletin Nov 2025 PDF
Annual Report 2024 to 2025 Annual report Jul 2025 PDF
Policy into Practice: Handling of prisoners’ property Policy into Practice Mar 2025 PDF
Policy into Practice: Handling of property complaints Policy into Practice Mar 2025 PDF
Complaints Investigations Learning Lessons Bulletin Issue 11: Property complaints Learning Lessons Bulletin Mar 2025 PDF
PPO response to JSC Tackling Drugs in Prison Inquiry Consultation response Feb 2025 PDF
PPO response to JHAC Inquiry into Prison Culture Consultation response Feb 2025 PDF
PPO response to JSC inquiry into Rehabilitation and Resettlement Consultation response Feb 2025 PDF
Policy into Practice: Emergency Response Policy into Practice Jan 2025 PDF
PPO response to the Independent Sentencing Review 2024/25 call for evidence Consultation response Jan 2025 PDF
Fatal Incident Investigations Learning Lessons Bulletin Issue 19: Post-release death investigations 2 Learning Lessons Bulletin Jul 2024 PDF
Annual Report 2023-24 Annual report Jul 2024 PDF
Annual report 2022-23 Annual report Jul 2024 PDF
Policy into practice: Use of force Policy into Practice Feb 2024 PDF
PPO response to the inquiry into prison population and capacity Consultation response Nov 2023 PDF
Fatal Incident Investigations Learning Lessons Bulletin Issue 18: Self-inflicted deaths of IPP prisoners Learning Lessons Bulletin Sep 2023 PDF
Investigating deaths after release from prison – a pilot evaluation Learning Lessons Bulletin Jan 2023 PDF
Fatal Incident Investigations Learning Lessons Bulletin Issue 17: Post-release death investigations Learning Lessons Bulletin Jan 2023 PDF
PPO response to the inquiry into the Prison Operational Workforce Consultation response Jan 2023 PDF
Annual Report 2021-22 Annual report Oct 2022 PDF
Policy into Practice: Use of restraints on escort Policy into Practice Sep 2022 PDF
PPO Response to the Inquiry into IPP sentences Consultation response Jan 2022 PDF
Fatal Incident Investigations Learning Lessons Bulletin Issue 16: Second wave COVID-19 related deaths Learning Lessons Bulletin Dec 2021 PDF
Annual Report 2020-21 Annual report Sep 2021 PDF
PPO responses to the Inquiry into Women in Prison Consultation response Aug 2021 PDF
Fatal Incident Investigations Learning Lessons Bulletin Issue 15: COVID-19 PPO fatal incident investigations Learning Lessons Bulletin Feb 2021 PDF
Complaints Investigations Learning Lessons Bulletin Issue 10: COVID-19 PPO Complaints Learning Lessons Bulletin Dec 2020 PDF

Incidents

140 records
Name Establishment Cause Status Date of death Recs
William Roalfe HMP Channings Wood Natural Published 20 Nov 2021 9
Maqsood Asif HMP Stafford Natural Published 18 Nov 2021 5
Ann-Marie Pyle HMP/YOI Drake Hall Natural Published 30 Sep 2021 1
Ashley Wood HMP Exeter Self-inflicted Published 9 Sep 2021 9
David Mears HMP Channings Wood Natural Published 17 Aug 2021 6
Matthew Braben HMP Wormwood Scrubs Self-inflicted Published 16 Aug 2021 5
Daniel Ayers HMP Winchester Self-inflicted Published 25 Jul 2021 14
Keith Williams HMP Dovegate Self-inflicted Published 12 Jul 2021 14
Akhtar Hussain HMP Manchester Self-inflicted Published 8 Jul 2021 12
Khyber Nasim HMP Pentonville Self-inflicted Published 17 Jun 2021 3
Piotr Marszalek HMP Wandsworth Self-inflicted Published 8 Jun 2021 8
Robert Stephens HMP The Verne Natural Published 28 May 2021 5
Lukasz Lukasik HMP Hull Self-inflicted Published 27 May 2021 6
Godfrey Muzhuzha HMP The Mount Natural Published 3 May 2021 4
Peter Coulthard HMP Whatton Natural Published 23 Mar 2021 4
Rimantas Zalalis HMP Thameside Other Published 22 Mar 2021 4
George Petrou HMP Pentonville Self-inflicted Published 1 Mar 2021 7
Clive Pinder HMP Risley Natural Published 17 Feb 2021 5
Deejay Blampey HMP Exeter Self-inflicted Published 2 Feb 2021 7
David Reid HMP Rye Hill Natural Published 11 Jan 2021 5
Joshua Esberger HMP Hull Self-inflicted Published 11 Jan 2021 5
Michael Lavin HMP Altcourse Natural Published 12 Nov 2020 6
James Drury HMP Exeter Natural Published 23 Jun 2020 1
Terence Devereux HMP Channings Wood Self-inflicted Published 24 May 2020 5
Ronnie Gaunt HMP Risley Natural Published 15 Apr 2020 1
Alex John HMP Pentonville Natural Published 13 Jan 2020 2
Liridon Saliuka HMP Belmarsh Self-inflicted Published 2 Jan 2020 15
Gary Bell HMP Holme House Self-inflicted Published 28 Dec 2019 4
Saria Hart HMP/YOI Foston Hall Self-inflicted Published 12 Oct 2019 5
Jason Birch HMP Whitemoor Self-inflicted Published 26 Sep 2019 5
Malacai Samson HMP Pentonville Self-inflicted Published 23 Aug 2019 7
Frederick Heard HMP/YOI Parc Natural Published 9 Aug 2019 4
Thomas Moffett HMP Preston Natural Published 6 Aug 2019 5
Paul David Horrocks HMP Thorn Cross Other Published 30 Jun 2019 7
Christine McDonald HMP/YOI Styal Self-inflicted Published 3 Mar 2019 9
Peter Howard HMP Littlehey Natural Published 15 Jun 2018 2
Taras Nykolyn HMP Woodhill Homicide Published 5 Jun 2018 7
Kevin Delahunty HMP Risley Self-inflicted Published 29 Mar 2018 8
Nicola Birchall HMP/YOI Styal Other Published 4 Feb 2018 4
Aaron Nunes HMP/YOI Parc Natural Published 21 Feb 2016 25