Prisoners Trained as Listeners Save Lives in London Jails

When Jay landed in prison for the first time at 34, he shut down completely. He refused to leave his cell, stopped eating, and spiralled into isolation on his top bunk with only his darkest thoughts for company.

Then prisoner volunteers called Listeners found him. Jay credits them with saving his life.

Across London's eight prisons, 115 inmates serve as Listeners, trained by the Samaritans to provide emotional support to fellow prisoners in crisis. The government-funded program gives these volunteers free movement around facilities to reach inmates contemplating suicide or struggling with mental health emergencies.

The need is urgent. Last year, 79 people died by suicide in prison custody across England and Wales.

David became a Listener during one of his many prison sentences. First arrested at 10 and in and out of jail his whole life, he found purpose helping others behind bars. "I started becoming a better person in prison through the roles I was doing like the Listeners," he said. "It deepened my understanding and my empathy for people around me."

But the work takes its toll. David worked with two men who later died by suicide within six weeks. Combined with losing his job and being confined to his cell 23 hours daily, the weight became too much. He attempted to take his own life, saved only by his neighbour who happened to be a fellow Listener.

Jay eventually became a Listener himself at HMP Isis in southeast London. During his final week inside, Covid lockdown hit and prisoners couldn't leave their cells for three straight days. The four Listeners worked around the clock, moving from cell to cell as anxiety overwhelmed the 680-prisoner facility.

Why This Inspires

Listeners reach people nobody else can. Many inmates won't open up to mental health professionals, fearing judgment or distrusting authority figures. But they'll talk to someone who truly understands what they're going through because they're living it too.

As prisoners themselves, Listeners have the time and credibility that overstretched prison staff often lack. John Simpson from the Samaritans emphasized they supplement professional help rather than replace it, providing the simple gift of listening for an hour when someone desperately needs to be heard.

Jay now works for a charity supporting inmates and their families, carrying forward the compassion that once saved him. David kept his promise to himself, never returning to prison after his final release, transformed by the very program that gave his time inside meaning.

The Listener scheme proves that redemption can start anywhere, even in the places society has given up on.