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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Charles Pratt | HMP Leeds | Pending inquest | — | — | |
| Liam Watson-Hunter | HMP Holme House | In progress | — | — | |
| Claire Taylor | HMP/YOI Eastwood Park | Pending inquest | — | — | |
| Ifor Whittaker | HMP Littlehey | Pending inquest | — | — | |
| Steven Watson | HMP Highpoint | Pending inquest | — | — | |
| Frazer Williams | HMP Guys Marsh | Self-inflicted | Published | — | — |
| Amie Keeling | HMP/YOI Foston Hall | In progress | — | — | |
| Bobby Kennedy | Penrose Drive Approved Premises | Pending inquest | — | — | |
| Thomas Mobbs | HMP Lindholme | In progress | — | — | |
| Samuel Ross | HMP Long Lartin | Pending inquest | — | — | |
| Aaron Rowley | HMP Holme House | In progress | — | — | |
| David Brooks | HMP Rye Hill | In progress | — | — | |
| Kasim Hussain | HMP Preston | In progress | — | — | |
| Errol Craig | HMP Leeds | In progress | — | — | |
| Peter Cooper | HMP Fosse Way | In progress | — | — | |
| Dean Waters | HMP Long Lartin | In progress | — | — | |
| Ben Foley | HMP Exeter | Self-inflicted | Published | — | — |
| Brian Haines | HMP Five Wells | In progress | — | — | |
| Andrew Savage | HMP Channings Wood | In progress | — | — | |
| Alfred Grimble | HMP Norwich | In progress | — | — | |
| Adrian O’Reilly | HMP Littlehey | In progress | — | — | |
| Kenneth Pickering | HMP Lincoln | In progress | — | — | |
| Carl Jewitt | HMP Bedford | In progress | — | — | |
| Shannon Woodhall | HMP/YOI Eastwood Park | In progress | — | — | |
| Andrew Davies | HMP/YOI Moorland | In progress | — | — | |
| Lyndon Jones | HMP/YOI Parc | In progress | — | — | |
| Luke Ashcroft | HMP Lincoln | Self-inflicted | Published | — | — |
| Imran Khan | HMP Isle of Wight | Self-inflicted | Published | — | — |
| Jamie Musgrave | HMP Peterborough | In progress | — | — | |
| Carlos Velez | HMP Belmarsh | Pending inquest | — | — | |
| Nigel Farrant | HMP Isle of Wight | Natural | Published | — | — |
| Terence McGlen | HMP Northumberland | In progress | — | — | |
| Malcolm Pyke | HMP Durham | In progress | — | — | |
| Michael Southall | HMP Fosse Way | In progress | — | — | |
| Kevin O’Regan | HMP Gartree | In progress | — | — | |
| Kerry Stevens | HMP Hewell | In progress | — | — | |
| Pavlo Lapshyn | HMP Wakefield | Pending inquest | — | — | |
| Geoffrey Collett | HMP Rye Hill | In progress | — | — | |
| Cameron Nixon | HMP Lewes | Pending inquest | — | — | |
| John Thurston | HMP Northumberland | In progress | — | — | |
| Patrick Driver | HMP Elmley | Pending inquest | — | — | |
| Laura Parry | HMP/YOI Styal | Pending inquest | — | — | |
| Dean Kerr | HMP Lancaster Farms | In progress | — | — | |
| Andrew White | HMP Holme House | In progress | — | — | |
| Daniel Martin | HMP Hewell | In progress | — | — | |
| John Friend | HMP Nottingham | In progress | — | — | |
| Kenneth Sturgess | HMP Rye Hill | In progress | — | — | |
| Victor Adams | HMP Whatton | In progress | — | — | |
| Pearl Draper | HMP Peterborough | In progress | — | — | |
| Stanley Brown | HMP Liverpool | In progress | — | — |