Source · Deaths in custody
PPO Fatal Incident Reports
6,488 incidents
5,759 published
1,642 recommendations
1,658 self-inflicted
3,411 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Annual Report 2025 to 2026 | Annual report | Jul 2026 | |
| 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 property complaints | Policy into Practice | Mar 2025 | |
| Policy into Practice: Handling of prisoners’ property | Policy into Practice | Mar 2025 | |
| Complaints Investigations Learning Lessons Bulletin Issue 11: Property complaints | Learning Lessons Bulletin | Mar 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 | |
| PPO response to JSC Tackling Drugs in Prison Inquiry | 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 |
Incidents
| Name | Establishment | Cause | Status | Date of death | Recs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Individual at Stoke Heath | HMP Stoke Heath | Natural | Published | 14 May 2017 | — |
| Individual at Swinfen Hall | HMP Swinfen Hall | Self-inflicted | Published | 8 May 2017 | — |
| Individual at Oakwood | HMP Oakwood | Natural | Published | 7 May 2017 | — |
| Individual at Bure | HMP Bure | Natural | Published | 6 May 2017 | — |
| Individual at Bure | HMP Bure | Natural | Published | 5 May 2017 | — |
| Individual at Winchester | HMP Winchester | Self-inflicted | Published | 3 May 2017 | — |
| Individual at Rye Hill | HMP Rye Hill | Natural | Published | 3 May 2017 | — |
| Baker, Brian | HMP Sudbury | Natural | Published | 1 May 2017 | — |
| Individual at Leyhill | HMP Leyhill | Natural | Published | 28 Apr 2017 | — |
| Individual at Buckley Hall | HMP Buckley Hall | Natural | Published | 28 Apr 2017 | — |
| Individual at Pentonville | HMP Pentonville | Self-inflicted | Published | 27 Apr 2017 | — |
| Individual at Rye Hill | HMP Rye Hill | Natural | Published | 27 Apr 2017 | — |
| Individual at High Down | HMP High Down | Natural | Published | 27 Apr 2017 | — |
| Individual at Lewes | HMP Lewes | Self-inflicted | Published | 26 Apr 2017 | — |
| Individual at Forest Bank | HMP Forest Bank | Natural | Published | 26 Apr 2017 | — |
| Individual at Bullingdon | HMP Bullingdon | Natural | Published | 24 Apr 2017 | — |
| Individual at Exeter | HMP Exeter | Self-inflicted | Published | 24 Apr 2017 | — |
| Individual at Leeds | HMP Leeds | Natural | Published | 21 Apr 2017 | — |
| Individual at Whatton | HMP Whatton | Natural | Published | 20 Apr 2017 | — |
| Individual at Doncaster | HMP Doncaster | Natural | Published | 20 Apr 2017 | — |
| Individual at Wymott | HMP Wymott | Natural | Published | 19 Apr 2017 | — |
| Individual at Oakwood | HMP Oakwood | Natural | Published | 17 Apr 2017 | — |
| Individual at Leyhill | HMP Leyhill | Natural | Published | 16 Apr 2017 | — |
| Individual at Birmingham | HMP Birmingham | Natural | Published | 15 Apr 2017 | — |
| Individual at Garth | HMP Garth | Natural | Published | 14 Apr 2017 | — |
| Individual at Bristol | HMP Bristol | Self-inflicted | Published | 13 Apr 2017 | — |
| Individual at The Mount | HMP The Mount | Natural | Published | 13 Apr 2017 | — |
| Individual at The Verne IRC | IRC The Verne IRC | Self-inflicted | Published | 9 Apr 2017 | — |
| Individual at Frankland | HMP Frankland | Natural | Published | 9 Apr 2017 | — |
| Individual at Norwich | HMP Norwich | Self-inflicted | Published | 5 Apr 2017 | — |
| Individual at Exeter | HMP Exeter | Natural | Published | 2 Apr 2017 | — |
| Individual at Wymott | HMP Wymott | Natural | Published | 1 Apr 2017 | — |
| Individual at Durham | HMP Durham | Natural | Published | 30 Mar 2017 | — |
| Individual at Cardiff | HMP Cardiff | Natural | Published | 29 Mar 2017 | — |
| Individual at Ripon House | Ripon House | Other | Published | 29 Mar 2017 | — |
| Haynes, Daniel | HMP Risley | Other | Published | 28 Mar 2017 | — |
| Individual at Pentonville | HMP Pentonville | Self-inflicted | Published | 28 Mar 2017 | — |
| Individual at Hewell | HMP Hewell | Natural | Published | 27 Mar 2017 | — |
| Individual at Durham | HMP Durham | Natural | Published | 26 Mar 2017 | — |
| Individual at The Crescent | The Crescent | Natural | Published | 26 Mar 2017 | — |
| Individual at Altcourse | HMP Altcourse | Natural | Published | 25 Mar 2017 | — |
| Individual at The Verne IRC | IRC The Verne IRC | Natural | Published | 23 Mar 2017 | — |
| Paul Day | HMP Sudbury | Other | Published | 23 Mar 2017 | 3 |
| Individual at Norwich | HMP Norwich | Self-inflicted | Published | 22 Mar 2017 | — |
| Individual at Woodhill | HMP Woodhill | Natural | Published | 21 Mar 2017 | — |
| Individual at Northumberland | HMP Northumberland | Natural | Published | 18 Mar 2017 | — |
| Individual at Bristol | HMP Bristol | Natural | Published | 17 Mar 2017 | — |
| Individual at Swaleside | HMP Swaleside | Self-inflicted | Published | 16 Mar 2017 | — |
| Individual at Bedford | HMP Bedford | Self-inflicted | Published | 16 Mar 2017 | — |
| Individual at Doncaster | HMP Doncaster | Natural | Published | 9 Mar 2017 | — |