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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Burnip, John | Durham Post-release | Other | Published | 29 Dec 2022 | — |
| Beaumont, Francis | HMP Moorland Closed | Natural | Published | 28 Dec 2022 | — |
| Marc Uzzell | HMP Bristol | Natural | Published | 28 Dec 2022 | 4 |
| Uddin, Mohammed Sayeef | HMP Highpoint | Self-inflicted | Published | 28 Dec 2022 | — |
| Cain, Robert | HMP Leyhill | Natural | Published | 28 Dec 2022 | — |
| Wathen, Keith | HMP The Verne | Natural | Published | 28 Dec 2022 | — |
| Herbert, Adam | Leicester Post-release | Other | Published | 27 Dec 2022 | — |
| Harrison, Keith | HMP Liverpool | Natural | Published | 27 Dec 2022 | — |
| Jackson, JT | Lightfoot House | Natural | Published | 24 Dec 2022 | — |
| Murray, Peter | HMP Littlehey | Natural | Published | 24 Dec 2022 | — |
| Rusling, Douglas | HMP Doncaster | Natural | Published | 23 Dec 2022 | — |
| Hutchinson, John | HMP Preston | Natural | Published | 22 Dec 2022 | — |
| McLoughlin, Daniel | Leeds Post-release | Self-inflicted | Published | 21 Dec 2022 | — |
| Steven Sargeant | HMP Swansea | Natural | Published | 21 Dec 2022 | — |
| Nadeem, Mohammed | HMP Forest Bank | Natural | Published | 20 Dec 2022 | — |
| Benjamin Donnelly | HMP Cardiff | Self-inflicted | Published | 20 Dec 2022 | 1 |
| de Launay, Nicolas | Lewes Post-release | Other | Published | 19 Dec 2022 | — |
| James Trewick | HMP Northumberland | Natural | Published | 17 Dec 2022 | 1 |
| Matthew Xavier | HMP Highpoint | Natural | Published | 16 Dec 2022 | 2 |
| Jonusas, Ricardas | HMP Swaleside | Self-inflicted | Published | 16 Dec 2022 | — |
| Cunningham, Robert | HMP Holme House | Natural | Published | 16 Dec 2022 | — |
| George Day | HMP Ranby | Other | Published | 15 Dec 2022 | — |
| Cartell, Leonard | HMP Rye Hill | Natural | Published | 12 Dec 2022 | — |
| Orme, Mel | HMP Wymott | Natural | Published | 12 Dec 2022 | — |
| Lee Robinson | HMP Leeds | Self-inflicted | Published | 11 Dec 2022 | — |
| Ben Hyland | HMP Leeds | Self-inflicted | Published | 11 Dec 2022 | 1 |
| Rageh, Osman | Maidstone Post-release | Natural | Published | 10 Dec 2022 | — |
| Ronnie Stewart | HMP Holme House | Natural | Published | 9 Dec 2022 | — |
| Mark Mason | HMP Durham | Self-inflicted | Published | 8 Dec 2022 | 2 |
| Baddiley, Arthur | HMP Oakwood | Natural | Published | 7 Dec 2022 | — |
| Steven Hatch | HMP Cardiff | Other | Published | 6 Dec 2022 | — |
| Wayne Franks | HMP Wakefield | Natural | Published | 5 Dec 2022 | 1 |
| Jamie Andrews | HMP Bristol | Natural | Published | 4 Dec 2022 | 2 |
| Brightmore, Scott | Moorland Closed Post-release | Other | Published | 1 Dec 2022 | — |
| Stewart, Ian | HMP Altcourse | Self-inflicted | Published | 1 Dec 2022 | — |
| David Lancaster | HMP Durham | Self-inflicted | Published | 30 Nov 2022 | — |
| Pinkney, Michael | The Crescent | Other | Published | 26 Nov 2022 | — |
| Anderson, Craig | Isle of Man Prison | Self-inflicted | Published | 25 Nov 2022 | — |
| Raymon, Coburn | HMP Rye Hill | Natural | Published | 25 Nov 2022 | — |
| Shaw, George | HMP Doncaster | Natural | Published | 24 Nov 2022 | — |
| Joseph Jukes | HMP Holme House | Natural | Published | 22 Nov 2022 | — |
| Curtis Cadman | HMP Lincoln | Natural | Published | 21 Nov 2022 | 2 |
| John Eyre | HMP Swaleside | Natural | Published | 20 Nov 2022 | 1 |
| Skinner, Ricky | Durham Post-release | Other | Published | 19 Nov 2022 | — |
| Bate, Keith | HMP Forest Bank | Natural | Published | 18 Nov 2022 | — |
| Michael Phillips | HMP Stoke Heath | Other | Published | 18 Nov 2022 | — |
| Inch, Brian | HMP The Mount | Natural | Published | 17 Nov 2022 | — |
| Graham Boyle | HMP/YOI Parc | Natural | Published | 14 Nov 2022 | — |
| Sheldon Jeans | HMP Guys Marsh | Other | Published | 13 Nov 2022 | — |
| Ian Kettles | HMP Bristol | Self-inflicted | Published | 11 Nov 2022 | 4 |