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Fatal Incidents Team

The Fatal Incidents Team investigates deaths that occur in prisons, in probation service Approved Premises, and in immigration removal centres. This means deaths from natural causes and self-inflicted deaths, homicides and accidental deaths.

We serve the bereaved family, HM Coroners and the services in remit. While not all deaths are preventable, those who die while in the care of the state must be treated with dignity and humanity, and their families and friends must be assured they were given proper support and care.

The Fatal Incidents Team also helps the organisations within our remit – the Prison Service, the National Probation Service and the UK Border Agency – learn lessons from deaths that occur in custody.

What we investigate

 
We investigate the circumstances of the deaths of prisoners, including those held in young offender institutions. This includes investigating when someone dies while they are temporarily away from their normal place of custody, for example, if they are being transferred or are at court or in hospital.

We don’t usually investigate deaths of those who have been released from custody, whether temporarily or permanently.However, we do have the discretion to investigate cases that raise issues about the care provided by:

  • the prison
  • National Probation Service Approved Premises (including voluntary residents)
  • immigration detention accommodation and those under UK Border Agency managed escort


We begin the investigation on notification of a death from the relevant organisation, and decide on the extent of the investigation depending on the circumstances of the death.

The remit of the investigation includes all relevant matters for which the Prison Service, the National Probation Service (including local probation areas) or the UK Border Agency are responsible. It also includes services commissioned by the Ministry of Justice from outside the public sector, for example, prisons that are contracted out to private companies.

See How we investigate fatal incidents for more detail on our investigation methods.