Politicians will visit a prison today to witnesses the work of the Samaritans in the penal system.
Research shows prison inmates are up to 7 times more likely to die by suicide than those in the general population.
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The Samaritans trains prisoners, who volunteer to become “listeners” for their fellow inmates.
The “Listener Scheme” currently operates in five Irish prisons – with a total of 40 prisoner volunteers.
Today, TDs who are members of the Oireachtas Justice Committee will be briefed on how the scheme operates at Wheatfield Prison.
Orla McCaffrey – Prison Support Officer with the Samaritans – explains why the scheme has been effective in jails:
