Seven inmates at HMP Birmingham lost their lives during 2025, new information reveals, as the prison faces a stark warning that more people will die unless urgent action is taken.
Ongoing Investigations into Custodial Deaths
The Prisons and Probation Ombudsman (PPO) is currently investigating four of the deaths which occurred at the Winson Green prison between January and September. These probes remain in progress. Investigations into the three other deaths have concluded, with causes ranging from natural disease to suicide.
The deceased prisoners ranged in age from 31 to 85. Some died in custody, while others passed away in hospital or hospice care while still serving their sentences.
A National Crisis: Deaths Rise by 30%
This troubling news from Birmingham comes against a backdrop of a sharp national increase in prison fatalities. Across England and Wales, inmate deaths rose by 30 per cent in the year to September 2025 compared to 2024.
Official Ministry of Justice figures show that 411 people died in prison custody in that period, up from 317 the previous year.
Coroner's Warning After Drug-Related Death
The situation at HMP Birmingham prompted a formal prevention of future deaths report issued to the Ministry of Justice and West Midlands Police. This followed the death of 29-year-old Derrion Adams in October 2024.
Adams died from a drug-related incident after using a synthetic cannabinoid, known as Black Mamba or spice, via a tampered vape. In November 2025, Area Coroner Emma Brown warned that further deaths would occur at the jail unless action was taken to stop drugs being delivered by drones.
The HMP Birmingham Prisoners Who Died in 2025
Kouri Yee, aged 31, died on September 29. The investigation into his death is ongoing.
Brian Lomas, 77, died on May 2. His case is also still under investigation.
Lucasz Strag, 44, died on January 26 from urosepsis in a hospice while serving a 19-year sentence for drug conspiracy. He also had cancer, which contributed to but did not cause his death.
Colin Price, an 85-year-old sex offender, died in a hospice on January 23. His provisional cause of death was chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).
Christopher Randall, 33, died on January 11. The cause of his death is yet to be established.
John Casey, 59, died on January 9. The investigation into his death remains in progress.
Earl Johnson, 64, died on January 3 from a ruptured abdominal aortic aneurysm. A PPO report concluded his death was from natural causes.
The series of deaths and the coroner's stark warning highlight severe challenges facing the prison system, with HMP Birmingham at the centre of a growing national crisis.
