Prisoners train as volunteers for Dublin Samaritans

Some 28 prisoners are now trained as Samaritans volunteers in a number of Dublin prisons and the organisation hopes to eventually extend the project to every prison in the State.

The 28 prisoners provide a confidential listening service for fellow inmates at Cloverhill, Wheatfield and Arbour Hill prisons. They are introduced to new prisoners as they arrive, according to Phil Huston, director of the Samaritans Dublin branch.

She said there had been a strong response to the service from inmates and good support from prison officers. Ms Huston said many prisoners were distressed and lonely when they arrived in prison and they valued having someone to whom they could talk in confidence.

"Our aim is to have this service in all prisons if possible but it requires a lot of co-operation," she said. The service is not available in Mountjoy and St Patrick's Institution but prisoners are visited by Samaritans volunteers.

Ms Huston was speaking as the Samaritans held their new 24/7 awareness and fundraising day yesterday. The date was chosen because it was the 24th day of the seventh month, and the Samaritans service is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

Barbecues and fundraising events were held around the country to mark the day.

Lord Mayor of Dublin Vincent Jennings and an entourage spent 24 hours visiting all 20 Samaritans branches in Ireland yesterday. The group carried the Winter Olympic torch from the recent Turin Olympics, to symbolise light and hope.

Ms Huston said the Samaritans were working to make emotional health a mainstream issue. "Samaritans' vision is for a society where fewer people die by suicide because people are able to share feelings of emotional distress openly without fear of being judged."

Samaritans volunteers made 289,098 contacts with people last year and spent 274,464 hours listening to callers.

The Samaritans can be contacted at 1850 609090 in the Republic or 0845 7909090 in the North for the price of a local call or e-mailed at jo@samaritans.org

The organisation is also piloting a 24-hour a day texting service for anyone in emotional distress. To receive the service, send a text message to 087 260 9090 from the Republic or 07725 90 90 90 from anywhere in the UK.