Resources for Secure Environments

Deaths and complaints

The Prisons and Probation Ombudsman (PPO) carries out independent investigations into deaths and complaints in custody. The purpose of PPO investigations is to understand what happened, to ensure justice is done and to identify learning for the organisations involved. Fatal incident reports and action plans are published once inquests have taken place. 

Learning lessons bulletins are published following collective analysis of PPO investigations. They cover a range of topics with the aim of potentially helping to prevent future avoidable deaths and resolve issues that may lead to complaints.