Source · Deaths in custody
PPO Fatal Incident Reports
6,470 incidents
5,745 published
1,502 recommendations
1,653 self-inflicted
3,404 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Annual Report 2025 to 2026 | Annual report | Jul 2026 | |
| 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 inquiry into Rehabilitation and Resettlement | Consultation response | Feb 2025 | |
| PPO response to JHAC Inquiry into Prison Culture | Consultation response | Feb 2025 | |
| PPO response to JSC Tackling Drugs in Prison Inquiry | 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 2022-23 | Annual report | Jul 2024 | |
| Annual Report 2023-24 | 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 | |
| Fatal Incident Investigations Learning Lessons Bulletin Issue 17: Post-release death investigations | Learning Lessons Bulletin | Jan 2023 | |
| Investigating deaths after release from prison – a pilot evaluation | 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 |
Incidents
| Name | Establishment | Cause | Status | Date of death | Recs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| John Hartshorne | HMP Stafford | Natural | Published | 14 Feb 2023 | 1 |
| Andrew Hadwin | HMP Durham | Natural | Published | 2 Feb 2023 | 4 |
| Anthony Mitchell | HMP Dartmoor | Natural | Published | 30 Jan 2023 | 2 |
| Paul Paget | HMP Swaleside | Natural | Published | 17 Jan 2023 | 3 |
| Lawrence Dugbazah | HMP Littlehey | Natural | Published | 6 Jan 2023 | 3 |
| Weighman, Daniel | HMP Chelmsford | Self-inflicted | Published | 6 Jan 2023 | 3 |
| Marc Uzzell | HMP Bristol | Natural | Published | 28 Dec 2022 | 4 |
| James Trewick | HMP Northumberland | Natural | Published | 17 Dec 2022 | 1 |
| Wayne Franks | HMP Wakefield | Natural | Published | 5 Dec 2022 | 1 |
| Jason Kennedy | HMP/YOI High Down | Other | Published | 9 Nov 2022 | 4 |
| Russell Irvine | HMP Durham | Self-inflicted | Published | 7 Nov 2022 | 5 |
| Ewan Homer | HMP Stafford | Natural | Published | 6 Nov 2022 | 3 |
| Shaine Tester | HMP Gartree | Self-inflicted | Published | 1 Nov 2022 | 2 |
| Colin Lovett | HMP The Verne | Self-inflicted | Published | 29 Oct 2022 | 4 |
| Pearson, John | HMP Holme House | Natural | Published | 24 Oct 2022 | 2 |
| John Warry | HMP Stafford | Natural | Published | 25 Sep 2022 | 10 |
| Christopher Keeling | HMP/YOI Doncaster | Self-inflicted | Published | 18 Sep 2022 | 3 |
| Steven Haldane | HMP Stafford | Natural | Published | 29 Aug 2022 | 2 |
| Sebastian Mularz | HMP Hull | Natural | Published | 17 Aug 2022 | 6 |
| Marlon Burrows | HMP Garth | Other | Published | 16 Aug 2022 | 6 |
| Sion Evans | HMP/YOI Parc | Self-inflicted | Published | 12 Aug 2022 | 5 |
| Emlyn Francis | HMP Dovegate | Natural | Published | 18 Jul 2022 | 3 |
| Shehu Balogun | HMP Liverpool | Other | Published | 12 Jul 2022 | 1 |
| Leon Cadman | HMP Peterborough | Natural | Published | 12 Jul 2022 | 4 |
| Wilson, John | HMP Forest Bank | Natural | Published | 17 Jun 2022 | 2 |
| Michael Higginbottom | HMP Stafford | Natural | Published | 5 Jun 2022 | 4 |
| Huston, Trevor | HMP Forest Bank | Natural | Published | 4 Jun 2022 | 5 |
| Charleston Cullen | HMP Nottingham | Natural | Published | 25 May 2022 | 3 |
| Wayne Bayley | HMP Pentonville | Other | Published | 17 May 2022 | 7 |
| Thomas Cole | HMP Northumberland | Natural | Published | 13 May 2022 | 2 |
| Jeremie Simmons | HMP Wakefield | Self-inflicted | Published | 4 May 2022 | 6 |
| Thomas Simmons | HMP Humber | Natural | Published | 20 Apr 2022 | 3 |
| Lewis Petryszyn | HMP/YOI Parc | Other | Published | 15 Apr 2022 | 4 |
| Mervyn Tedbury | HMP Isle of Wight | Natural | Published | 3 Apr 2022 | 3 |
| Mehrban Hussain | HMP Wormwood Scrubs | Natural | Published | 1 Apr 2022 | 5 |
| Gordon Dunn | HMP The Verne | Natural | Published | 31 Mar 2022 | 5 |
| Brian Johncock | HMP Lewes | Natural | Published | 15 Feb 2022 | 5 |
| John Creevy | HMP Garth | Natural | Published | 25 Jan 2022 | 2 |
| Christopher Reed | HMP Isle of Wight | Natural | Published | 24 Jan 2022 | 4 |
| Ian Davies | HMP Bristol | Self-inflicted | Published | 6 Dec 2021 | 7 |
| Diana Grant | HMP Bronzefield | Self-inflicted | Published | 20 Nov 2021 | 6 |
| 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 |