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This session was coordinated by Governor Frances Daly and discussed the effective hygiene practices within Irish prisons during the lockdown. Working with the Irish Red Cross, the prison service responded to the lockdown by focussing on how infection control, with pioneering collaborations by prison and education staff, and by prisoners, through a peer-led programme to support wellbeing champions.
This podcast explores the role of the Irish Red Cross prisoner volunteer programme in supporting health, infection control, and wellbeing across Irish prisons during the COVID-19 pandemic. The discussion highlights how peer-led initiatives can transform health outcomes and build stronger prison communities, even under crisis conditions.
The programme, first piloted in Wheatfield Prison in 2009 and expanded nationally by 2014, is a partnership between the Irish Prison Service, the Education and Training Board, and the Irish Red Cross. Prisoners are trained as Red Cross volunteers, completing core health modules before leading peer-to-peer projects on infection control, TB awareness, hepatitis C and HIV prevention, drug awareness, and violence reduction.
During COVID-19, these volunteers became central to the prison system’s pandemic response. They created posters, leaflets, and education campaigns tailored to their peers, provided practical guidance on handwashing and PPE, and supported prisoners in quarantine with information and reassurance. Their credibility as peers meant that health messages were trusted, understood, and adopted more readily than if delivered solely by staff.
The impact was significant: no COVID-related deaths were recorded in Irish prisons, with volunteers playing a key role in infection prevention. Their work was supported by strong collaboration between governors, healthcare teams, teachers, and prison staff, demonstrating the importance of cross-sector partnerships.
The discussion also highlighted the broader benefits of the programme. Volunteers reported gains in confidence, self-worth, and skills, while the model has since been shared internationally, with successful adaptation in prison systems such as Honduras.
This podcast shows how inclusion, communication, and peer leadership can not only save lives but also foster dignity, responsibility, and healthier prison communities.