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Prisons
The occurrence of suicides of people in prison has long been a cause for concern.
 
Samaritans and the Prison Service are continuing to work in close partnership to develop new initiatives to address this worrying trend.
 
Leicester Samaritans works with HMP Gartree, HMP Leicester and Glen Parva Young Offenders’ Institute.
 
Listeners are prisoners themselves, trained by Samaritans to offer emotional support to fellow inmates in distress in just the same way that Samaritans support the wider community.

A team of trained Samaritan volunteers from our branch visits the prisons regularly to meet the Listeners and hear about their calls. We offer support, guidance and training. About once a year we select and train new prisoners who are keen to become Listeners.
 
The work the Listeners do can be very challenging. Obviously, they are in prison themselves, with their own issues, and they have the added difficulty that they often know their callers and must maintain confidentiality.
 
We are immensely grateful to them for being prepared to put themselves in the position of being a Listener, which is sometimes difficult, but can also be very rewarding.
Leicester Samaritans provides confidential emotional support for anybody who feels things are getting too much for them, who is in distress or despair, or who feels that taking their own life is the only way out.

Call 0116 270 0007 or 08457 909090, or email jo@samaritans.org any time.

Alternatively, if you want to talk to someone face to face, visit our branch at 1a, Elmfield Avenue, Leicester, LE2 1RB from 9.30am-9pm, any day of the week.