He was speaking before a ceremony to mark the 21st anniversary of the listener scheme at Wheatfield Prison, designed to offer trained prisoner-to-prisoner support. During the ceremony, 15 newly trained prisoners were handed certificates by Caron McCaffrey, director general of the Irish Prison Service, having undergone a five-week-long training course delivered by Samaritans volunteers. As of Tuesday, they are available to provide face-to-face support to their fellow inmates, of which there are 722 in total. Anto*, a listener for six years, says providing support to other prisoners gives him a “sense of purpose”. He now credits the listener scheme with transforming the environment of prisons.

Source: The Irish Times November 26, 2025 19:03 UTC