Source · Deaths in custody
PPO Fatal Incident Reports
6,470 incidents
5,745 published
1,502 recommendations
1,653 self-inflicted
3,404 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 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 inquiry into Rehabilitation and Resettlement | Consultation response | Feb 2025 | |
| PPO response to JHAC Inquiry into Prison Culture | 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 2022-23 | Annual report | Jul 2024 | |
| Annual Report 2023-24 | 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 | |
| Fatal Incident Investigations Learning Lessons Bulletin Issue 17: Post-release death investigations | Learning Lessons Bulletin | Jan 2023 | |
| Investigating deaths after release from prison – a pilot evaluation | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Michael Dawson | HMP Lindholme | Natural | Published | — | 4 |
| Samuel Omar | HMP Stafford | Natural | Published | — | 3 |
| Fay Newman | HMP/YOI Downview | Natural | Published | — | 2 |
| James Bell | HMP Forest Bank | Self-inflicted | Published | — | 2 |
| Christopher Roberts | HMP Isle of Wight | Natural | Published | — | 2 |
| Christopher Stephens | HMP Guys Marsh | Other | Published | — | 2 |
| John Richards | HMP Aylesbury | Other | Published | — | 2 |
| Graham Stridgeon | HMP Wymott | Natural | Published | — | 2 |
| Daniel Brown | HMP/YOI High Down | Natural | Published | — | 3 |
| Alan Whelan | HMP Leeds | Self-inflicted | Published | — | 1 |
| Peter Hopkins | HMP/YOI Doncaster | Natural | Published | — | 4 |
| Lee Jackson | HMP Bristol | Self-inflicted | Published | — | 2 |
| Jake O’Brien | HMP Forest Bank | Self-inflicted | Published | — | 12 |
| Malcolm James | HMP/YOI Parc | Natural | Published | — | 2 |
| Nathan Byrnes | HMP Liverpool | Self-inflicted | Published | — | 2 |
| David Smith | HMP Whatton | Natural | Published | — | 2 |
| Imran Khan | HMP Isle of Wight | Self-inflicted | Published | — | 10 |
| Frazer Williams | HMP Guys Marsh | Self-inflicted | Published | — | 9 |
| Michael Marsh | HMP Exeter | Self-inflicted | Published | — | 6 |
| Henry Benoi-Davies | HMP Nottingham | Natural | Published | — | 5 |
| David Ogden | HMP Forest Bank | Self-inflicted | Published | — | 2 |
| Christopher Walton | HMP Ranby | Natural | Published | 6 Feb 2025 | 7 |
| Alexander Corbett | Fleming House Approved Premises | Self-inflicted | Published | 23 Aug 2024 | 4 |
| Eric Stringer | HMP Wormwood Scrubs | Natural | Published | 23 Aug 2024 | 4 |
| Gavin Wheale | HMP Birmingham | Other | Published | 8 Aug 2024 | 1 |
| Ming Jiang | HMP Swaleside | Natural | Published | 21 Jul 2024 | 4 |
| Tony King | HMP Swaleside | Natural | Published | 18 Jun 2024 | 2 |
| Eric Pyle | HMP Littlehey | Natural | Published | 28 May 2024 | 1 |
| Lewis Brown | HMP Birmingham | Self-inflicted | Published | 27 May 2024 | 3 |
| Edward Lomas | HMP Pentonville | Self-inflicted | Published | 22 May 2024 | 4 |
| Stephen Jones | HMP Peterborough | Natural | Published | 5 May 2024 | 3 |
| Edward Hands | HMP Bedford | Other | Published | 16 Feb 2024 | 4 |
| Stuart Berry | HMP Chelmsford | Self-inflicted | Published | 1 Feb 2024 | 3 |
| John Leadbitter | HMP Hull | Natural | Published | 31 Jan 2024 | 3 |
| Lawrence Johnson | HMP Frankland | Natural | Published | 13 Jan 2024 | 3 |
| Simon Faherty | HMP Elmley | Self-inflicted | Published | 20 Nov 2023 | 4 |
| Lucas Kidd | HMP Ranby | Other | Published | 19 Oct 2023 | 2 |
| James Wood | HMP Hull | Natural | Published | 4 Sep 2023 | 1 |
| Rajwinder Singh | HMP Wandsworth | Self-inflicted | Published | 25 Jun 2023 | 6 |
| Joseph Louis | HMP Wormwood Scrubs | Natural | Published | 26 Apr 2023 | 4 |
| Pearce, Luke | HMP Swinfen Hall | Self-inflicted | Published | 6 Apr 2023 | 1 |
| Frank Ospina | Colnbrook Immigration Removal Centre | Self-inflicted | Published | 26 Mar 2023 | 4 |
| Andrew Hadwin | HMP Durham | Natural | Published | 2 Feb 2023 | 4 |
| Lawrence Dugbazah | HMP Littlehey | Natural | Published | 6 Jan 2023 | 3 |
| Oliver Davies | HMP Hewell | Self-inflicted | Published | 31 Dec 2022 | 3 |
| Aaron Harte | HMP Peterborough | Other | Published | 3 Nov 2022 | 4 |
| Pearson, John | HMP Holme House | Natural | Published | 24 Oct 2022 | 2 |
| Rebecca Parkinson | HMP/YOI Styal | Other | Published | 31 Jul 2022 | 2 |
| Max Marchant | HMP The Mount | Other | Published | 25 Jul 2022 | 13 |
| Tyrone Beresford | HMP The Mount | Other | Published | 14 Jul 2022 | 7 |
Page 1 of 2
Next ›