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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bracey, Greg | High Down Post-release | Other | Published | 21 Apr 2022 | — |
| Individual at Stoke Heath | HMP Stoke Heath | Natural | Published | 21 Apr 2022 | — |
| Thomas Simmons | HMP Humber | Natural | Published | 20 Apr 2022 | 3 |
| Individual at Leeds | HMP Leeds | Natural | Published | 17 Apr 2022 | — |
| Andrew Clark | HMP Peterborough | Natural | Published | 16 Apr 2022 | — |
| Kelly, Margaret | Eastwood Park Post-release | Other | Published | 16 Apr 2022 | — |
| Lewis Petryszyn | HMP/YOI Parc | Other | Published | 15 Apr 2022 | 4 |
| Angela Thompson | HMP/YOI Styal | Self-inflicted | Published | 11 Apr 2022 | 3 |
| Thompson, Neil | HMP Doncaster | Natural | Published | 10 Apr 2022 | — |
| Individual at Bradshaw House | Bradshaw House | Other | Published | 9 Apr 2022 | — |
| Aravindan Balakrishnan | HMP Dartmoor | Natural | Published | 8 Apr 2022 | — |
| Individual at Nottingham | HMP Nottingham | Natural | Published | 8 Apr 2022 | — |
| Guy, John | HMP Liverpool | Natural | Published | 6 Apr 2022 | — |
| Individual at Hindley Post-release | Hindley Post-release | Other | Published | 3 Apr 2022 | — |
| Mervyn Tedbury | HMP Isle of Wight | Natural | Published | 3 Apr 2022 | 3 |
| Brinton, Matthew | Channings Wood Post-release | Other | Published | 2 Apr 2022 | — |
| Sparks, Luke | HMP Swaleside | Self-inflicted | Published | 2 Apr 2022 | — |
| Individual at Leyhill | HMP Leyhill | Natural | Published | 1 Apr 2022 | — |
| Mehrban Hussain | HMP Wormwood Scrubs | Natural | Published | 1 Apr 2022 | 5 |
| Gordon Dunn | HMP The Verne | Natural | Published | 31 Mar 2022 | 5 |
| Skrzypek, Mirsoslaw | Doncaster Post-release | Self-inflicted | Published | 28 Mar 2022 | — |
| Mousah, Martin | HMP Leyhill | Natural | Published | 27 Mar 2022 | — |
| Leslie Moulden | HMP Northumberland | Natural | Published | 26 Mar 2022 | — |
| Individual at Foston Hall Post-release | Foston Hall Post-release | Other | Published | 26 Mar 2022 | — |
| Individual at Berwyn | HMP Berwyn | Natural | Published | 23 Mar 2022 | — |
| Individual at Cardiff Post-release | Cardiff Post-release | Other | Published | 22 Mar 2022 | — |
| King, Alun | HMP Winchester | Natural | Published | 22 Mar 2022 | — |
| Michael Fox | HMP Humber | Other | Published | 15 Mar 2022 | 1 |
| Cunningham, Kenneth | HMP Liverpool | Natural | Published | 14 Mar 2022 | — |
| Francis, John | HMP Littlehey | Natural | Published | 14 Mar 2022 | — |
| Coleman, Christopher | Risley Post-release | Natural | Published | 13 Mar 2022 | — |
| Individual at Manchester | HMP Manchester | Natural | Published | 11 Mar 2022 | — |
| Individual at Leeds | HMP Leeds | Self-inflicted | Published | 10 Mar 2022 | — |
| Traverso, Charles | Elmley Post-release | Other | Published | 9 Mar 2022 | — |
| Norton, David | HMP Dartmoor | Natural | Published | 9 Mar 2022 | — |
| Saxon, Emma | HMP New Hall | Self-inflicted | Published | 7 Mar 2022 | — |
| Individual at Littlehey | HMP Littlehey | Natural | Published | 7 Mar 2022 | — |
| Individual at Preston | HMP Preston | Natural | Published | 5 Mar 2022 | — |
| Simmons, Jamie | HMP Swaleside | Self-inflicted | Published | 4 Mar 2022 | — |
| Individual at Norwich Post-release | Norwich Post-release | Other | Published | 1 Mar 2022 | — |
| James Bailey | HMP The Mount | Self-inflicted | Published | 1 Mar 2022 | 6 |
| Individual at Highpoint Post-release | Highpoint Post-release | Other | Published | 27 Feb 2022 | — |
| Thurling, Darren | Peterborough Post-release | Other | Published | 27 Feb 2022 | — |
| Craig Steadman | HMP Winchester | Self-inflicted | Published | 27 Feb 2022 | 5 |
| Michael Grimes | HMP Isle of Wight | Natural | Published | 26 Feb 2022 | 1 |
| Individual at Bristol | HMP Bristol | Natural | Published | 25 Feb 2022 | — |
| McLellan, Scott | HMP Frankland | Self-inflicted | Published | 24 Feb 2022 | — |
| Hassan, Ahsan | HMP Highpoint | Self-inflicted | Published | 20 Feb 2022 | — |
| Individual at Brigstocke Road | Brigstocke Road | Self-inflicted | Published | 18 Feb 2022 | — |
| Individual at Moorland Closed | HMP Moorland Closed | Natural | Published | 18 Feb 2022 | — |