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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Individual at Birmingham | HMP Birmingham | Natural | Published | 19 Mar 2021 | — |
| Individual at Isle of Wight | HMP Isle of Wight | Natural | Published | 18 Mar 2021 | — |
| Individual at Wakefield | HMP Wakefield | Natural | Published | 16 Mar 2021 | — |
| Individual at Leeds | HMP Leeds | Natural | Published | 16 Mar 2021 | — |
| Individual at The Mount | HMP The Mount | Natural | Published | 14 Mar 2021 | — |
| Tate, Jamie | HMP Manchester | Other | Published | 14 Mar 2021 | — |
| Brown, Alan | HMP Littlehey | Natural | Published | 14 Mar 2021 | — |
| Individual at Featherstone | HMP Featherstone | Natural | Published | 13 Mar 2021 | — |
| Individual at Bure | HMP Bure | Natural | Published | 12 Mar 2021 | — |
| Hayden, Samuel | HMP Liverpool | Self-inflicted | Published | 12 Mar 2021 | — |
| Individual at Oakwood | HMP Oakwood | Natural | Published | 11 Mar 2021 | — |
| Individual at Bullingdon | HMP Bullingdon | Natural | Published | 11 Mar 2021 | — |
| Individual at Winchester | HMP Winchester | Natural | Published | 10 Mar 2021 | — |
| Individual at Isle of Wight | HMP Isle of Wight | Natural | Published | 9 Mar 2021 | — |
| Individual at Stafford | HMP Stafford | Natural | Published | 9 Mar 2021 | — |
| Individual at Wakefield | HMP Wakefield | Natural | Published | 9 Mar 2021 | — |
| Individual at Isle of Wight | HMP Isle of Wight | Natural | Published | 8 Mar 2021 | — |
| Carl Sheldon | Wharflane House Approved Premises | Other | Published | 8 Mar 2021 | 3 |
| Fenna, Dylan | HMP Humber | Natural | Published | 8 Mar 2021 | — |
| Individual at Wakefield | HMP Wakefield | Natural | Published | 7 Mar 2021 | — |
| Individual at Liverpool | HMP Liverpool | Natural | Published | 7 Mar 2021 | — |
| Individual at Bure | HMP Bure | Natural | Published | 7 Mar 2021 | — |
| Individual at Wayland | HMP Wayland | Natural | Published | 7 Mar 2021 | — |
| Individual at Leeds | HMP Leeds | Natural | Published | 5 Mar 2021 | — |
| Individual at Brixton | HMP Brixton | Natural | Published | 4 Mar 2021 | — |
| Individual at Ashley House | Ashley House | Self-inflicted | Published | 3 Mar 2021 | — |
| Individual at Whatton | HMP Whatton | Natural | Published | 3 Mar 2021 | — |
| Jason McQuoid | HMP Risley | Self-inflicted | Published | 2 Mar 2021 | 5 |
| Joseph, Paul | HMP Chelmsford | Self-inflicted | Published | 2 Mar 2021 | — |
| Individual at Isle of Wight | HMP Isle of Wight | Natural | Published | 2 Mar 2021 | — |
| Individual at Oakwood | HMP Oakwood | Natural | Published | 1 Mar 2021 | — |
| George Petrou | HMP Pentonville | Self-inflicted | Published | 1 Mar 2021 | 7 |
| Individual at Stocken | HMP Stocken | Natural | Published | 1 Mar 2021 | — |
| Individual at Manchester | HMP Manchester | Natural | Published | 1 Mar 2021 | — |
| Individual at New Hall | HMP New Hall | Natural | Published | 1 Mar 2021 | — |
| Individual at Leeds | HMP Leeds | Natural | Published | 28 Feb 2021 | — |
| Individual at Whatton | HMP Whatton | Natural | Published | 27 Feb 2021 | — |
| Individual at Oakwood | HMP Oakwood | Natural | Published | 27 Feb 2021 | — |
| Individual at Rye Hill | HMP Rye Hill | Natural | Published | 26 Feb 2021 | — |
| Individual at Erlestoke | HMP Erlestoke | Natural | Published | 25 Feb 2021 | — |
| Individual at Doncaster | HMP Doncaster | Natural | Published | 24 Feb 2021 | — |
| Individual at Swaleside | HMP Swaleside | Natural | Published | 24 Feb 2021 | — |
| Individual at The Verne | HMP The Verne | Natural | Published | 24 Feb 2021 | — |
| Individual at Wakefield | HMP Wakefield | Natural | Published | 23 Feb 2021 | — |
| Individual at New Hall | HMP New Hall | Natural | Published | 23 Feb 2021 | — |
| Individual at Rye Hill | HMP Rye Hill | Natural | Published | 22 Feb 2021 | — |
| Individual at Durham | HMP Durham | Natural | Published | 22 Feb 2021 | — |
| Individual at The Verne | HMP The Verne | Natural | Published | 22 Feb 2021 | — |
| Individual at Doncaster | HMP Doncaster | Other | Published | 21 Feb 2021 | — |
| Individual at Norwich | HMP Norwich | Natural | Published | 21 Feb 2021 | — |