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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lee Scott | HMP Humber | Self-inflicted | Published | 14 Jun 2022 | 4 |
| Trowbridge, Mark | HMP Standford Hill | Natural | Published | 13 Jun 2022 | — |
| Rider, Scott | HMP Woodhill | Self-inflicted | Published | 13 Jun 2022 | — |
| Brown, William | Lancaster Farms Post-release | Other | Published | 13 Jun 2022 | — |
| Uden, Craig | Nelson House | Other | Published | 11 Jun 2022 | — |
| Individual at Littlehey | HMP Littlehey | Natural | Published | 9 Jun 2022 | — |
| Individual at Leyhill Post-release | Leyhill Post-release | Natural | Published | 9 Jun 2022 | — |
| Bentley, Liam | HMP Swaleside | Self-inflicted | Published | 6 Jun 2022 | — |
| Michael Higginbottom | HMP Stafford | Natural | Published | 5 Jun 2022 | 4 |
| Blanchard, Robert | HMP Parc | Natural | Published | 4 Jun 2022 | — |
| Huston, Trevor | HMP Forest Bank | Natural | Published | 4 Jun 2022 | — |
| Fairbrother, Keith | HMP Wakefield | Natural | Published | 4 Jun 2022 | — |
| Dowman, Jamie | Chelmsford Post-release | Other | Published | 3 Jun 2022 | — |
| Individual at Moorland Closed | HMP Moorland Closed | Natural | Published | 1 Jun 2022 | — |
| Jones, Craig | Cardiff Post-release | Other | Published | 1 Jun 2022 | — |
| Pearson, Harief | HMP Swaleside | Other | Published | 1 Jun 2022 | — |
| Feltham, Paul | HMP Northumberland | Self-inflicted | Published | 31 May 2022 | — |
| Harris, Matthew | HMP Long Lartin | Self-inflicted | Published | 29 May 2022 | — |
| Lamb, Paul | HMP Hull | Natural | Published | 27 May 2022 | — |
| Individual at Wandsworth | HMP Wandsworth | Natural | Published | 26 May 2022 | — |
| Individual at Hewell | HMP Hewell | Natural | Published | 26 May 2022 | — |
| Moran, Colin | Northumberland Post-release | Other | Published | 25 May 2022 | — |
| Charleston Cullen | HMP Nottingham | Natural | Published | 25 May 2022 | 3 |
| Bond, Martin | Cardiff Post-release | Other | Published | 24 May 2022 | — |
| Green, Colin | HMP Northumberland | Natural | Published | 24 May 2022 | — |
| Armstrong, Karl | Merseybank | Other | Published | 23 May 2022 | — |
| John Hooper | HMP Channings Wood | Natural | Published | 20 May 2022 | — |
| Cox, Louise | HMP Downview | Natural | Published | 20 May 2022 | — |
| Individual at Manchester | HMP Manchester | Natural | Published | 19 May 2022 | — |
| Individual at Whatton | HMP Whatton | Natural | Published | 18 May 2022 | — |
| Individual at Swaleside | HMP Swaleside | Natural | Published | 17 May 2022 | — |
| Wayne Bayley | HMP Pentonville | Other | Published | 17 May 2022 | 7 |
| Isaac Ayeni | HMP Aylesbury | Other | Published | 16 May 2022 | 2 |
| Payne, Richard | HMP Wayland | Self-inflicted | Published | 15 May 2022 | — |
| Thomas Cole | HMP Northumberland | Natural | Published | 13 May 2022 | 2 |
| Individual at Preston | HMP Preston | Natural | Published | 8 May 2022 | — |
| Green, Adrian | HMP Altcourse | Natural | Published | 6 May 2022 | — |
| Coster, Stephen | HMP Lewes | Natural | Published | 5 May 2022 | — |
| Smith, Anthony | HMP Preston | Self-inflicted | Published | 4 May 2022 | — |
| Jeremie Simmons | HMP Wakefield | Self-inflicted | Published | 4 May 2022 | 6 |
| Individual at Littlehey | HMP Littlehey | Natural | Published | 30 Apr 2022 | — |
| Pulami, Anthony | HMP Hull | Natural | Published | 28 Apr 2022 | — |
| Joseph Hall | Carpenter House Approved Premises | Other | Published | 27 Apr 2022 | 2 |
| Landymore, Michael | HMP Winchester | Natural | Published | 25 Apr 2022 | — |
| Ricardo Cotteral | HMP Sudbury | Homicide | Published | 24 Apr 2022 | 5 |
| Individual at Doncaster | HMP Doncaster | Natural | Published | 23 Apr 2022 | — |
| Wilkinson, Mark | HMP Lewes | Natural | Published | 22 Apr 2022 | — |
| Individual at Leeds | HMP Leeds | Natural | Published | 22 Apr 2022 | — |
| Palin, David | HMP Altcourse | Natural | Published | 22 Apr 2022 | — |
| Reay, Jamie | Wealstun Post-release | Other | Published | 21 Apr 2022 | — |