Source · Deaths in custody

PPO Fatal Incident Reports

6,563 incidents 5,801 published 1,698 recommendations 1,676 self-inflicted 3,427 natural causes

Deaths in custody investigated by the Prisons and Probation Ombudsman. Among the incidents indexed here, 26% are recorded as self-inflicted. Source: PPO.

Theme: policy · Remove

Incidents

115 records

Brian Fletcher

HMP Hewell

Natural causesInvestigation: Report published5 recommendations indexed

PPO entry published 10 July 2026

John Chapman

HMP Gartree

Natural causesInvestigation: Report published2 recommendations indexed

PPO entry published 13 May 2026

James Bell

HMP Forest Bank

Self-inflictedInvestigation: Report published2 recommendations indexed

PPO entry published 3 July 2026

Mark Jones

HMP Oakwood

Natural causesInvestigation: Report published1 recommendation indexed

PPO entry published 21 August 2026

Joseph Murphy

HMP Liverpool

Natural causesInvestigation: Report published1 recommendation indexed

PPO entry published 20 March 2026

Johnpaul Digweed

HMP Garth

Self-inflictedInvestigation: Report published4 recommendations indexed

PPO entry published 28 August 2026

Peter Hopkins

HMP/YOI Doncaster

Natural causesInvestigation: Report published4 recommendations indexed

PPO entry published 27 March 2026

Colin Storr

HMP Durham

Self-inflictedInvestigation: Report published4 recommendations indexed

PPO entry published 1 May 2026

Uziel Mendoza-Sillerico

HMP Lowdham Grange

Natural causesInvestigation: Report published10 recommendations indexed

PPO entry published 9 June 2026

David Glass

HMP Altcourse

Self-inflictedInvestigation: Report published2 recommendations indexed

PPO entry published 2 October 2026

Jake O’Brien

HMP Forest Bank

Self-inflictedInvestigation: Report published12 recommendations indexed

PPO entry published 10 July 2026

Paul Smyth

HMP Altcourse

Self-inflictedInvestigation: Report published4 recommendations indexed

PPO entry published 10 July 2026

Malcolm James

HMP/YOI Parc

Natural causesInvestigation: Report published2 recommendations indexed

PPO entry published 17 July 2026

Andrew Cox

HMP Guys Marsh

Other non-naturalInvestigation: Report published4 recommendations indexed

PPO entry published 7 August 2026

Paul Deville

HMP Manchester

Natural causesInvestigation: Report published2 recommendations indexed

PPO entry published 25 February 2026

Nezam Ghalate

HMP Manchester

Self-inflictedInvestigation: Report published3 recommendations indexed

PPO entry published 26 June 2026

John McGovern

HMP The Verne

Natural causesInvestigation: Report published3 recommendations indexed

PPO entry published 20 February 2026

Imran Khan

HMP Isle of Wight

Self-inflictedInvestigation: Report published10 recommendations indexed

PPO entry published 20 March 2026

Frazer Williams

HMP Guys Marsh

Self-inflictedInvestigation: Report published9 recommendations indexed

PPO entry published 20 March 2026

Henry Benoi-Davies

HMP Nottingham

Natural causesInvestigation: Report published5 recommendations indexed

PPO entry published 18 June 2026

Benjamin Harrison

HMP Rochester

Other non-naturalInvestigation: Report published5 recommendations indexed

PPO entry published 17 July 2026

David Ogden

HMP Forest Bank

Self-inflictedInvestigation: Report published2 recommendations indexed

PPO entry published 31 July 2026

Gary Davies

HMP Leeds

Self-inflictedInvestigation: Report published3 recommendations indexed

PPO entry published 12 August 2026

Kate Allen

HMP/YOI Low NewtonDate of death 8 December 2025

Natural causesInvestigation: Report published1 recommendation indexed

PPO entry published 16 October 2026

Stephen Nuth

HMP PentonvilleDate of death 24 September 2025

Self-inflictedInvestigation: Report published3 recommendations indexed

PPO entry published 9 September 2026

Roy Anderson

HMP RanbyDate of death 10 March 2025

Natural causesInvestigation: Report published2 recommendations indexed

PPO entry published 5 December 2025

Moses Hailemichel

HMP PentonvilleDate of death 3 March 2025

Self-inflictedInvestigation: Report published4 recommendations indexed

PPO entry published 4 September 2026

Brian Kemp

HMP Fosse WayDate of death 26 January 2025

Natural causesInvestigation: Report published3 recommendations indexed

PPO entry published 28 November 2025

Alex Davies

HMP/YOI StyalDate of death 24 December 2024

Self-inflictedInvestigation: Report published2 recommendations indexed

PPO entry published 17 November 2025

David Austin

HMP Long LartinDate of death 1 December 2024

Natural causesInvestigation: Report published2 recommendations indexed

PPO entry published 21 November 2025

Patrick Clayton

HMP GarthDate of death 4 September 2024

Self-inflictedInvestigation: Report published3 recommendations indexed

PPO entry published 5 October 2026

Alexander Corbett

Fleming House Approved PremisesDate of death 23 August 2024

Self-inflictedInvestigation: Report published4 recommendations indexed

PPO entry published 12 September 2025

Eric Stringer

HMP Wormwood ScrubsDate of death 23 August 2024

Natural causesInvestigation: Report published4 recommendations indexed

PPO entry published 4 April 2025

Patrick Whiting

Fleming House Approved PremisesDate of death 26 July 2024

Natural causesInvestigation: Report published1 recommendation indexed

PPO entry published 15 May 2025

Ming Jiang

HMP SwalesideDate of death 21 July 2024

Natural causesInvestigation: Report published4 recommendations indexed

PPO entry published 21 March 2025

Stephen Wallwork

HMP Forest BankDate of death 10 July 2024

UnascertainedInvestigation: Report published1 recommendation indexed

PPO entry published 24 October 2025

Michael Pugh

HMP SwalesideDate of death 29 June 2024

Self-inflictedInvestigation: Report published3 recommendations indexed

PPO entry published 1 August 2025

Tony King

HMP SwalesideDate of death 18 June 2024

Natural causesInvestigation: Report published2 recommendations indexed

PPO entry published 12 September 2025

Matthew Scott

HMP LincolnDate of death 17 June 2024

Other non-naturalInvestigation: Report published1 recommendation indexed

PPO entry published 24 June 2025

Igor Vujkovic

HMP MaidstoneDate of death 11 May 2024

Natural causesInvestigation: Report published4 recommendations indexed

PPO entry published 13 March 2025

Richard Cosgrove

HMP HumberDate of death 18 April 2024

Other non-naturalInvestigation: Report published2 recommendations indexed

PPO entry published 10 October 2025

Mark Johnston

HMP SwanseaDate of death 7 April 2024

Other non-naturalInvestigation: Report published2 recommendations indexed

PPO entry published 4 July 2025

Stephen Smith

HMP LiverpoolDate of death 24 March 2024

Natural causesInvestigation: Report published2 recommendations indexed

PPO entry published 22 July 2025

Barry Rossiter

HMP NorthumberlandDate of death 23 March 2024

Natural causesInvestigation: Report published2 recommendations indexed

PPO entry published 10 January 2025

Edward Hands

HMP BedfordDate of death 16 February 2024

Other non-naturalInvestigation: Report published4 recommendations indexed

PPO entry published 13 February 2026

David Smith

HMP NorthumberlandDate of death 8 February 2024

Other non-naturalInvestigation: Report published1 recommendation indexed

PPO entry published 19 December 2025

Kevin Kane

HMP GrendonDate of death 29 January 2024

Self-inflictedInvestigation: Report published3 recommendations indexed

PPO entry published 8 August 2025

Daniel Fielding

HMP LiverpoolDate of death 19 January 2024

Self-inflictedInvestigation: Report published6 recommendations indexed

PPO entry published 25 July 2025

Scott Walker

HMP Full SuttonDate of death 22 December 2023

Natural causesInvestigation: Report published1 recommendation indexed

PPO entry published 18 July 2025

Jamie Funnell

HMP LewesDate of death 16 December 2023

Other non-naturalInvestigation: Report published3 recommendations indexed

PPO entry published 17 October 2025

Top recommendation themes

healthcare (299) safeguarding (238) emergency_response (158) record_keeping (140) communication (130) policy (125) mental_health (115) safety (106) training (91) medication (80)

Learning & thematic publications

112 cross-establishment publications

Learning Lessons Bulletins (50), thematic reviews (2), consultation responses (11), Policy into Practice (5), annual reports (7) and FOI responses from the Ombudsman's disclosure log (37): the systemic patterns the Ombudsman draws from many investigations.

Title	Type	Date	Source
The number of complaints received by the PPO from 1 January 2023 onwards by people held in immigration removal centres and in short-term holding facilities	FOI response	Jul 2026	PDF
Annual Report 2025 to 2026	Annual report	Jul 2026	PDF
To provide information on prisons in the United Kingdom with forty or more self-inflicted deaths in the last ten years, alongside their total	FOI response	Jul 2026	PDF
The three English prisons with the highest number of self-inflicted deaths between 2016 to 2026 (excluding HMP Leeds), with annual breakdowns	FOI response	Jul 2026	PDF
The total number of prison deaths that occurred while the individual was located in a segregation unit per calendar from 2021 to 2025	FOI response	Jul 2026	PDF
The number of drug-related deaths in prisons in England and Wales from 2010 to 2025	FOI response	Jul 2026	PDF
A breakdown of the epilepsy deaths in Welsh prisons from the PPO’s Learning Lessons Bulletin on epilepsy deaths	FOI response	Jul 2026	PDF
The number of people held in prison, either serving a sentence or on remand, who have died by suicide between 2016 to 2026, broken down by each prison in Yorkshire	FOI response	Jul 2026	PDF
PPO response to JSC Inquiry into Children and Young Adults in the Secure Estate	Consultation response	Jun 2026	PDF
The number of upheld complaints made to the Prisons and Probation Ombudsman (PPO) about accommodation from 2024 to 2025.	FOI response	Apr 2026	PDF
Fatal Incident Investigations Learning Lessons Bulletin Issue 21: Segregation	Learning Lessons Bulletin	Mar 2026	PDF
Fatal Incident Investigations Learning Lessons Bulletin Issue 22: Self-inflicted deaths in reception prisons	Learning Lessons Bulletin	Mar 2026	PDF
HMP Elmley prisoner deaths by year from 2010 to 2025	FOI response	Feb 2026	PDF
Complaints to the PPO about inadequate access to sanitary products since 2020	FOI response	Feb 2026	PDF
The number of health-related deaths in prison	FOI response	Feb 2026	PDF
How many complaints did IPCI receive from prisoners during 2024?	FOI response	Feb 2026	PDF
How many complaints has the PPO received regarding lost property by HMP Peterborough	FOI response	Feb 2026	PDF
Fatal Incident Investigations Learning Lessons Bulletin Issue 20: Epilepsy	Learning Lessons Bulletin	Nov 2025	PDF
Annual Report 2024 to 2025	Annual report	Jul 2025	PDF
The number of deaths linked to drug taking in prisons in England and Wales between 2020 to 2024	FOI response	Jun 2025	PDF
How many prisoner deaths has the PPO been notified of each year, or started investigating, where there is a suspicion the death was drug-related?	FOI response	Jun 2025	PDF
The number of prisoners who died where no care plan was in place as found in PPO fatal incident investigations (1 February 2023 to 16 September 2023)	FOI response	Jun 2025	PDF
Provide a list of deaths by suicide in English prisons since 2022	FOI response	Jun 2025	PDF
The PPO response time for all cases in last three and current financial year	FOI response	Jun 2025	PDF
The number of self-inflicted deaths recorded in prisons from 2019 to 2024	FOI response	Jun 2025	PDF
The number of individuals in prisons, young offender institutions and approved premises in England and Wales and/or within 14 days of being released from prison were at the time of their deaths subject to an IPP	FOI response	Jun 2025	PDF
To confirm when the Prisons and Probation Ombudsman’s (PPO) Yarl’s Wood special investigation report was completed	FOI response	Jun 2025	PDF
To provide the total number of Prevention of Future Deaths (PFDs or Regulation 28 letters)	FOI response	Jun 2025	PDF
Policy into Practice: Handling of prisoners’ property	Policy into Practice	Mar 2025	PDF
Policy into Practice: Handling of property complaints	Policy into Practice	Mar 2025	PDF