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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| McAllister, Addy | Burdett Lodge | Other | Published | 6 Jul 2020 | — |
| James Drury | HMP Exeter | Natural | Published | 23 Jun 2020 | 1 |
| Individual at Gartree | HMP Gartree | Natural | Published | 23 Jun 2020 | — |
| Individual at Doncaster | HMP Doncaster | Self-inflicted | Published | 21 Jun 2020 | — |
| Individual at Hull | HMP Hull | Self-inflicted | Published | 21 Jun 2020 | — |
| Individual at Exeter | HMP Exeter | Natural | Published | 19 Jun 2020 | — |
| Individual at Styal | HMP Styal | Natural | Published | 18 Jun 2020 | — |
| Individual at Frankland | HMP Frankland | Natural | Published | 18 Jun 2020 | — |
| Individual at Durham | HMP Durham | Other | Published | 16 Jun 2020 | — |
| Individual at Wymott | HMP Wymott | Natural | Published | 7 Jun 2020 | — |
| Individual at Hewell | HMP Hewell | Natural | Published | 6 Jun 2020 | — |
| Individual at Littlehey | HMP Littlehey | Natural | Published | 5 Jun 2020 | — |
| Individual at Maidstone | HMP Maidstone | Self-inflicted | Published | 4 Jun 2020 | — |
| Individual at Winchester | HMP Winchester | Self-inflicted | Published | 29 May 2020 | — |
| Individual at Oakwood | HMP Oakwood | Natural | Published | 27 May 2020 | — |
| Carr, Lee | Durham Post-release | Other | Published | 27 May 2020 | — |
| Individual at Berwyn | HMP Berwyn | Natural | Published | 26 May 2020 | — |
| Individual at Eastwood Park Post-release | Eastwood Park Post-release | Self-inflicted | Published | 26 May 2020 | — |
| Individual at Risley | HMP Risley | Natural | Published | 26 May 2020 | — |
| Individual at Bullingdon | HMP Bullingdon | Other | Published | 25 May 2020 | — |
| Terence Devereux | HMP Channings Wood | Self-inflicted | Published | 24 May 2020 | 5 |
| Individual at Elmley | HMP Elmley | Other | Published | 22 May 2020 | — |
| Individual at Bure | HMP Bure | Natural | Published | 22 May 2020 | — |
| Carl Kent | HMP Dartmoor | Self-inflicted | Published | 21 May 2020 | 4 |
| Individual at Cardiff | HMP Cardiff | Self-inflicted | Published | 20 May 2020 | — |
| Individual at Frankland | HMP Frankland | Natural | Published | 20 May 2020 | — |
| Timothy Smith | HMP Risley | Self-inflicted | Published | 20 May 2020 | 3 |
| Individual at Littlehey | HMP Littlehey | Natural | Published | 20 May 2020 | — |
| Individual at North Sea Camp | HMP North Sea Camp | Natural | Published | 19 May 2020 | — |
| Individual at Durham | HMP Durham | Natural | Published | 17 May 2020 | — |
| Individual at Bure | HMP Bure | Self-inflicted | Published | 17 May 2020 | — |
| Individual at Aylesbury | HMP Aylesbury | Self-inflicted | Published | 16 May 2020 | — |
| Individual at Dickson House | Dickson House | Other | Published | 12 May 2020 | — |
| Individual at Lincoln | HMP Lincoln | Self-inflicted | Published | 8 May 2020 | — |
| Sean Huntroyd | HMP Winchester | Natural | Published | 7 May 2020 | 2 |
| Individual at Holme House | HMP Holme House | Natural | Published | 7 May 2020 | — |
| Individual at Norwich | HMP Norwich | Natural | Published | 5 May 2020 | — |
| Individual at Channings Wood | HMP Channings Wood | Natural | Published | 4 May 2020 | — |
| Individual at Wakefield | HMP Wakefield | Natural | Published | 3 May 2020 | — |
| Individual at Durham | HMP Durham | Self-inflicted | Published | 2 May 2020 | — |
| Individual at Norfolk Park | Norfolk Park | Other | Published | 2 May 2020 | — |
| Jeffery, Terence | HMP Brixton | Natural | Published | 1 May 2020 | — |
| Roberts, Ashley | HMP Bristol | Self-inflicted | Published | 1 May 2020 | — |
| Individual at Hull | HMP Hull | Natural | Published | 1 May 2020 | — |
| Individual at Wakefield | HMP Wakefield | Natural | Published | 1 May 2020 | — |
| Individual at Bullingdon | HMP Bullingdon | Natural | Published | 1 May 2020 | — |
| Individual at Dovegate | HMP Dovegate | Natural | Published | 30 Apr 2020 | — |
| Ryan Nash | HMP Bedford | Self-inflicted | Published | 30 Apr 2020 | 10 |
| Individual at Lindholme | HMP Lindholme | Natural | Published | 29 Apr 2020 | — |
| Individual at Channings Wood | HMP Channings Wood | Natural | Published | 29 Apr 2020 | — |