Prison Dog Training Programs Rehabilitate Canines and Cons
Before I even began my schooling for Criminal Justice my passion was dog training, rescuing dogs and giving them a purpose. I have spent years in training courses to learn how to become a better prepared and well-rounded trainer for all dogs and I have worked side by side with many breeds for different purposes. Throughout this course a great topic we have focused on is self-care, and I realized that training dogs is where I keep myself grounded, it is my stress relief, my passion, and my therapy. And I knew that if this was something that was so therapeutic for me, then it must somehow be incorporated into the criminal justice and/or mental health fields. As we have learned so far, service dogs play a huge part in certain therapy approaches; for people with anxiety, depression, and especially PTSD. Now what about in criminal justice? Animals in general, not just dogs; show us love and compassion endlessly, they do not judge or learn hate-they teach us to put something before ourselves because simply their lives depend on us.
Omaha Correctional Center partnered with a local animal shelter that allows the prisons inmates to foster hundreds of dogs as part of their Canine Compassion Program. Even though each program has its own personal details, the basics remain the same. Dogs with behavioral issues who are not quite ready to be adopted are sent to live in a cell with the caretaker. For anytime up to 16 weeks, the inmates are responsible for walking, feeding and playing with their dogs. The inmates will also take part in formal obedience training classes, where they teach their dogs the basic commands. In order to take part in the program, the inmates have to exhibit good behavior for at least one year prior, as well keep up good behavior during the duration of the program. One inmate shared that he likes the challenge of training the dogs and working through the harder classes. It keeps him occupied and gives him a purpose during the day to work harder with his animal. A lot fo the individuals interviewed shared that they enjoy the challenge because they like the feeling of not giving up, and proving to their dogs that they can succeed. “The dogs have brought humanity into this prison setting.” Liebson, R. (2018, June 13).
Animal programs within prisons have been gaining traction in the past few years, especially from the beginning of this idea which started in 1925. “Across the country, prisons and animal shelters are forming partnerships that put inmates in charge of training unruly dogs, giving both parties a chance at a fresh start.” Liebson, R. (2018, June 13). Carol Byrnes is a professional dog trainer and volunteers with local shelters to lead obedience classes for the inmates and the dogs. She goes on to say that many of the dogs come from high kill shelters, and it ca be a life or death situation for the dogs that are allowed to come to the prisons. And this is where the beauty of the relationship between the inmates and the dogs are formed. They both have the sense of being given one last chance-they work together for a brighter future. The inmates create such a powerful bond with the dogs, they know it is there responsibility to train them in such a way that they will succeed beyond the four walls of the prison. Byrnes was initially hesitant to get involved, but she developed a passion for the program after seeing the transformative effect it had on participants, both human and canine. For inmates and dogs who start off as distant or hard to reach, “as the program progresses, they open up, they blossom, they gain confidence, they gain social skills and the ability to problem solve and negotiate difficulties,” she said.
One of the officers who oversees a different program in New Mexico State Correctional Facility, PAWS which is Prisoners and Animals Working Toward Success Program said, it has helped the inmates correct some of the behaviors that may have landed them in jail in the first place. “The men in our pods have created so much loss, not only in their lives but in their families’ lives and lots of victims’ lives,” she said. “These dogs have really shown them compassion for other living things. Empathy.” Kimberly Collica-Cox, who is an associate professor of criminal justice at Pace University in New York, has studied how the symbiotic relationship between humans and dogs can be useful in prisons. Collica-Cox helped develop a program through Pace that uses animal assisted therapy to teach incarcerated mothers better parenting skills. “What we find is that dogs can trigger feelings of safety in humans, which will allow them to sort of open up and communicate more, which can be very helpful in a correctional setting,” she said, adding that there’s a great deal of research to support these findings. This is such a powerful aspect to research, a big problem in prisons today, especially all women facilities is that some women come into prison pregnant and give birth while serving their sentence. So, they ultimately miss out on either the first months or even years of their children’s lives, which can make them feel inadequate as a parent-especially if someone else has had a helping hand in raising their children while they were away. These programs can tech them motherly skills, compassion, nurturing and so much more.
These dog and prisoner programs can be life changing, not only for the dogs, but the prisoners and the families that adopt these dogs down the line. Paws for Life is a program in Lancaster, California at one of their maximum-security prisons; where these inmates go through extensive interviews to be able to participate in the program-they also have to write an essay on why they believe they should be a candidate. And a few of their messages were extremely powerful and I thought it would be a good way to end this.
“I know some people in society may think that we as prisoners don’t have anything good left in ourselves or have redeemable qualities, or be allowed any goodness in our lives; however contrary to that thinking I know in my heart this to be the opposite. Having someone to even suggest that we as prisoners would be good candidates for the Karma Rescue (Paws for Life program) demonstrates my beliefs that we have much left yet to offer society even if we potentially will never again be a part of that society.”
My reason for wanting to be a part of Paws for Life is simple. For most of my life I lived a very selfish lifestyle which led me to prison. I see Paws for Life as a chance to save a dog’s life. I understand what it’s like to be caged up. Also, I know this could be a lifesaving program for these dogs. Plus, Paws for Life gives me the chance to give back, to do something for someone else, to give back to a society that I cheated … I do understand that a dog trained is a dog that’s ready to be adopted, and a dog adopted is a life saved, and changed! — Travielle
I have been locked up for over twenty-two years…The biggest reason why I want to help care for, feed, train and love the dogs; I want to be a part of giving someone something that will always love them and be there for them always. A person can give as much money the he or she has to charity or person, but no amount of money can love a person or go fetch a child’s favorite toy or teddy bear. Please allow me to give a person more than words or money. — Oliver
– Fitzgerald, D. P. (2017, December 07)
And a few closing comments after the certification graduation ceremony:
Jon: “Everything has improved in my life. This program has given our hearts a chance to heal, has restored my faith in humanity. It’s made me feel like a human being, given me self worth again, that I had the ability to give back, brought me closer to my bros that I train with. We worked really hard day and night to make this happen. Every bit of this program has been an honor to be a part of.”
John M.: “This program has saved my life. It’s pretty simple. I have been in prison for twenty plus years…The Paws for Life program came along with Karma and all of a sudden I can love again. I can feel love. I can experience emotions that I have been holding down for twenty plus years…I sleep better at night, I’m more able to speak with people, I’m a little bit more literate. All of this comes from having a dog.”
References
Fitzgerald, D. P. (2017, December 07). Who Rescued Whom? Shelter Dogs and Prison Inmates Give Each Other a New ‘Leash’ on Life. Retrieved from https://www.huffingtonpost.com/dr-patricia-fitzgerald/who-rescued-who-shelter-dogs-and-prison-inmates-give-each-other-a-new-leash-on-life_b_5760042.html
Liebson, R. (2018, June 13). Prison Dog Training Programs Rehabilitate Canines and Cons. Retrieved from https://www.cleartheshelters.com/Prison-Pup-Programs-Give-Inmates-and-Shelter-Dogs-a-Second-Chance-437660633.html
Rousseau, D. (2018). Module 4: Pathways to Recovery: Understanding Approaches to Trauma Treatment. [Lecture Notes] Retrieved from https://onlinecampus.bu.edu/webapps/blackboard/execute/displayLearningUnit?course_id=_48015_1&content_id=_5919976_1&framesetWrapped=true
Van der Kolk, B. A. (2015). The body keeps the score: Brain, mind, and body in the healing of trauma. New York, NY: Penguin Books.