Deaths within two weeks of prison release hit record high in England and Wales

Analysis of Prisons and Probation Ombudsman reports published to date found that one in four people who died were released homeless. Illustration: Guardian Design / Anaïs Mims/Getty

The number of people who die within two weeks of being released from prison in England and Wales has reached a record high, a Guardian investigation has found.

Seventy-seven people died within 14 days of being released from prison in 2025, 28% higher than the 60 deaths recorded the previous year and the highest since records began in 2021.