Peer Support

The Prison Service recognises that being sent to prison can be a traumatic and often distressing experience for many prisoners, particularly those new to the prison system. For this reason there are a number of peer support schemes run specifically by prisoners for prisoners.

Effective peer support can contribute to safer prison strategies by helping to create a safe, decent and healthy environment with positive prisoner-prisoner and staff-prisoner relationships, where problems can be voiced and addressed and anxiety alleviated.

Samaritans

Samaritans are available 24 hours a day to offer emotional support and they now have strong links with most prisons in England and Wales. If a prisoner wants to see a Samaritan, they can ask a member of staff to arrange a visit or use one of the dedicated phones which provides access to Samaritans 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. Alternatively, prisoners may call their local Samaritan branch at any time of the day through their pinphone. Any conversation the prisoner has with a Samaritan is completely confidential and will not be discussed with prison staff.

Samaritans main activity with most prisons apart from units holding young people under 18 is to select, train and support volunteer prisoners called Listeners.

Listener Schemes

The majority of prisons in England and Wales now have in a Samaritan supported 'Listener' scheme. Listeners, who work as unpaid volunteers, provide confidential emotional support to other prisoners. The support offered by Listeners is confidential, so that details of a prisoner's conversation with a Listener will not be passed on to prison staff unless the person they are supporting gives their permission.

Other peer support schemes

A few prisons do not have a Listener scheme, although most of them run alternative peer support schemes known sometimes as a ‘Buddy' or ‘Carers' scheme. These schemes are not confidential and are not supported by Samaritans.

Insiders

The Insiders scheme involves the training of selected prisoner/trainee volunteers to provide basic information and reassurance to prisoners new to prison shortly after their arrival in prison. The first 24 hours in custody are particularly distressing for many prisoners, particularly those new to the prison system, and the aim of the Insiders scheme is to help reduce the anxiety experienced by them.

Toe By Toe

The Toe by Toe Reading Plan, run by the Shannon Trust, runs in most prisons in England and Wales. In 2008 we provided resources to teach 5,000 prisoners to read. Toe by Toe Mentors are prisoners who are trained to encourage and support prisoners with little or no reading skills. They provide informal, one-to-one learning opportunities on the wings and in other parts of the Prison.