Welcome to the PPO

The Prisons and Probation Ombudsman (PPO) carries out independent investigations into complaints and deaths in custody. The detailed roles and responsibilities of the PPO are set out in our office’s Terms of Reference.

The PPO has three main investigative duties:

1. to investigate deaths of prisoners, young people in detention, approved premises’ residents, and detained individuals due to any cause
2. to investigate deaths of recently released prisoners that occur within 14 days of release from prison (except homicide)
3. to investigate complaints made by prisoners, young people in detention, offenders under probation supervision and individuals detained under immigration powers (detained individuals)

Complaints from prisoners and young people in custody are investigated by Independent Prisoner Complaint Investigations (IPCI). IPCI is part of the PPO.

The purpose of these investigations is to understand what happened, to correct injustices and to identify learning for the organisations whose actions we oversee so that the PPO and IPCI make a significant contribution to safer, fairer custody and offender supervision.

Click here for information on Operation Deerness