Men in prison are using a ‘24/7 mental health text service’ which allows them to send messages about their problems and receive replies from trained volunteers.
Trials of the Shout service began at HMP Thameside in 2023 and it has now been expanded to four more Serco-run jails. Thousands of conversations have taken place.
The messages are sent anonymously using secure in-cell electronic devices provided by the prisons. They are answered by volunteers at Mental Health Innovations, the charity which runs the service. Shout is also available in the community, but messages coming from a prison are flagged up to the volunteers so that they can provide tailored advice.
According to Serco, “Volunteers engage in real-time conversations to de-escalate crises, support emotional regulation, build safety plans and help people take their next steps to getting the support they require. When a conversation reveals imminent risk, the Shout team works directly with prison staff to ensure the person is kept safe.”
As well as Thameside, Shout now operates at Dovegate, Doncaster, Fosse Way and Ashfield. In the past four months alone, around 1,300 text conversations have taken place between prisoners and volunteers.
A survey of prisoners who had used Shout found that one-third of the conversations involved stress or worry, 27 per cent discussed low mood or sadness, and 18 per cent disclosed thoughts of suicide. Specific issues raised included fear of being labelled a ‘grass’, physical health concerns, strained relationships, and anxiety about an upcoming release.
After using the service, 67 per cent said they found the conversation helpful, 41 per cent felt calmer, and 31 per cent felt better able to work through their problems.
Hayley Peek (pictured), Integrated Services Director at Serco, said: “Working across the justice sector, I have frequently witnessed the invisible struggles faced by people in prison. High rates of mental ill health, isolation and challenges with accessing support create an often-unseen crisis. In 2023, I had the privilege of leading a groundbreaking pilot in collaboration with digital charity Mental Health Innovations (MHI) to bring its 24/7 mental health text service Shout directly into the cells of prisoners.
“While many prisons offer listening schemes and in-person support from organisations like the Samaritans, we identified a critical gap: how to reach individuals, particularly those aged under 35, who may feel more comfortable opening up through text message rather than face-to-face or by phone.
“This groundbreaking initiative marked the first time mental health support via text was embedded inside a prison in this way. Our goal was simple yet ambitious: to offer people in prison a lifeline in a format they trust and can access safely.”
The Shout volunteers are overseen and supported by a safeguarding team and by a clinical team including qualified counsellors, therapists and mental health professionals.
One prisoner who has used the service said: “I use it rather than burdening my family, especially if they don’t understand about court or prison.” Another said: “It’s good that [the service] thinks about the issues we face and that we don’t have access to everything that people outside of prison do.”
Ms Peek added: “What makes this work so impactful is that it’s shaped by the lived experience of those it serves. Prisoners told us that the privacy of texting felt safer than talking, especially in shared cells.”
A 2025 report by HM Inspectorate of Prisons found that 56 per cent of prisoners said they had a mental health problem. Men in prison are four times more likely to take their own lives than men in the community.
