THE work of Samaritans in supporting people in prison has never been more needed, as the Scottish Prison Service marks 30 years of working together.


The suicide prevention charity is known for its 24/7 helpline, but it also runs the Listener scheme inside Scottish prison establishments, with prisoners trained to support others in custody.


The trained Listeners provide crucial support to people in SPS care – often when they are at their most vulnerable – and have recorded 987 supportive ‘contacts’ with people in 2024 alone, up to 9 September.


There are more than 60 prison Listeners and over 40 Samaritans volunteers supporting the scheme. Key concerns raised are about families, mental health, sentencing, and the first time in prison.

30 years of listeners logo

One male Listener said: The way I describe the scheme to people is that if you’re worried about something, we can sit down, and you can talk about whatever is on your mind. We’re volunteers. We’re people in prison, just like you.
 

Listeners are trained by Samaritans and the scheme is run by them, separately from SPS. They wear T-shirts with “Listener” on them, so people can identify them in the halls if they need help.
Alternatively, people can ask an officer to direct them to a Listener or call Samaritans using an in-cell telephone.


First established in Scotland at HMP Edinburgh in 1994, it is a unique peer-support scheme available in almost every prison in the country.
 

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