@article{ref1,
title="Accumulating meaning, purpose and opportunities to change 'drip by drip': the impact of being a listener in prison",
journal="Psychology, crime and law",
year="2014",
author="Perrin, C. and Blagden, N.",
volume="20",
number="9",
pages="902-920",
abstract="Established in 1991, the Listener scheme, regulated by the Samaritans, is currently the best-established peer support scheme in place to help reduce suicide in prisons. Each prison Listener team is comprised of a group of inmate volunteers who provide face-to-face emotional support to their peers. Although the scheme has been in operation for over 20 years, empirical research on the scheme is limited. A deeper understanding of how being a Listener affects prisoners' attitudes, beliefs, emotions and experiences of imprisonment is needed. The present study is a qualitative analysis on the experience of being a Listener and the impact it has on individuals and their prison experience. Interviews were analysed using interpretative phenomenological analysis. The analysis revealed two main superordinate themes: 'Listening and Personal Transformation' and 'Countering Negative Prison Emotions'. These themes are unpacked and the analysis focuses on their implications for desistance and offender reform. <br><br>RESULTS suggest that prisoners who adopt Listener roles experience profound internal changes, shifts in self-identity and gain meaning and purpose from prison. Implications for how such schemes may be utilised in the future and suggestions for further research are offered. © 2014 © 2014 Taylor & Francis.<p /><p>Language: en</p>",
language="en",
issn="1068-316X",
doi="10.1080/1068316X.2014.888429",
url="http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/1068316X.2014.888429"
}