Imprisoned volunteers save other inmates’ lives by listening

Last year, 79 people died by suicide in prison custody in England and Wales.

It’s a fall from the 90 self-inflicted deaths recorded in 2024, but Jodie Anderson from Inquest – a charity which supports families bereaved by a death in prison – warned against optimism.

“The rate of suicide in prison is still alarmingly high, of course a reduction is good, but it’s no consolation to any of the bereaved families of the people that died.”

Anderson described the Listener scheme as a “low cost substitute for professional psychological care”.

“What can a Listener do, but listen? If I’m saying to you I’m actively suicidal, not only is that incredibly triggering and traumatising for prisoners, it’s unacceptable that prisoners are being used to plug the gap in mental health services.”

But John Simpson, from the Samaritans, was adamant Listeners were not there to replace professional help, but to supplement it.

“There are very few people in an incredibly overstretched prison environment who have the time to sit down for an hour, listening to somebody talk about their emotional struggles. Listeners have that time.”

Now on the outside, Jay works for a charity which supports inmates and their families.

He said that, as prisoners themselves, Listeners are able to reach people nobody else can.

“A lot of people don’t feel comfortable speaking to mental health professionals because they think there will be a marker against them. Or they see them as part of the establishment. Some people in prison have a real issue with authority.”

He says although mental health care in prison desperately needs funding, it is constantly at the sharp end of cost-cutting measures.

“Prisons and the criminal justice system are where you can make cuts – people on the street don’t really care about the guy inside unless they have personal experience.”

Defending the current system, a Ministry of Justice spokesperson said prisons had “robust systems” in place to support prisoners at risk of harm, with trained staff and healthcare professionals playing a central role.

They added they were proud to partner with the Listener scheme.