PRISONER DIES AT HMP BERWYN AS WATCHDOG LAUNCHES INVESTIGATION

© Tom Blewitt & Zackery Lee Griffiths – HMP Prisons Justice Group

An investigation has been launched following the death of a 27-year-old prisoner at HMP Berwyn.

The Prisons and Probation Ombudsman (PPO) has confirmed that Oliver Crossley, who was born on October 11, 1998, died on August 11, 2026 while being held at the prison.

The watchdog has listed the investigation into his death as “in progress”.

HMP Berwyn, near Wrexham in North Wales, is one of the largest prisons in the UK and holds adult male prisoners.

The PPO independently investigates deaths of prisoners and other people held in custody, with its inquiries typically examining the circumstances surrounding a death and whether any lessons can be learned.

At this stage, the publicly available PPO entry does not state the cause or circumstances of Mr Crossley’s death.

A full investigation report will be published at a later date once inquiries have concluded.

Mr Crossley was just weeks short of his 28th birthday when he died.