Companion Dogs for Inmates

Service dogs that help the blind and otherwise afflicted are lauded, but you might be surprised to learn how and by whom a number of these dogs are trained. While convicts training and caring for canines might seem like an odd scenario, many prison programs have been initiated where inmates do just that. The programs have proven to be beneficial to everyone involved.

  1. Serving a Three-Way Need

    • Many of the dogs that come into these programs are rescued from shelters, so naturally their fate is changed for the better as they prepare for their roles as service dogs. Although they're providing assistance, service dogs are every bit as loved by their owners as other pets.

      For the inmates, training these animals offers a sense of accomplishment by developing confidence, giving them key job skills, as well as a close emotional bond with their assigned dogs. Such programs also foster cooperation and camaraderie among prisoners.

      Of course, once training is complete, the dogs move on to their ultimate purpose: serving the needs of the disabled. Inmate Shawn Souva of the Colorado Correctional Industries K-9 Companion Program tells "Dog Paw File" magazine via WordPress, "They each hold a spot in your heart. But knowing they will be loved and cherished and working, it is saving a life really, and that's the most rewarding -- it is all the personal reward you need."

    Selected Inmates

    • Because inmates are often violent, necessary procedures and codes of behavior are put in place to ensure the safety of the animals they train. For the Prison Puppy Raising Program at Maryland's Correctional Institute for Women in Jessup, inmates are required to complete an application and are carefully screened by prison staff before they participate. Additionally, individuals whose crimes were against animals and children are excluded.

    Selected Pets

    • Animal shelters see every kind of atrocity, and many of their animals aren't in condition to be adopted. But Washington State's Prison Pet Partnership Program in Gig Harbor selects those healthy enough to be candidates to become service dogs. They are also checked for diseases and given proper shots before they enter the program.

    A Future for Inmates

    • In addition to boosting morale, program participants learn boarding and grooming skills that enable them to seek employment in the pet industry following their release from prison. Programs like these that offer "free world" occupations such as the Prison Industry Enhancement Certification Program (PIECP) have been known to be more effective than Traditional Industries (TI, such as laundering, kitchen duty and factory work) that are supervised by corrections staff and offer a minuscule salary. One study found PIECP participants performed better than their TI group counterparts. Not only did they remain in their programs in prison longer, but nearly 14 percent of PIECP releases were employed for three consecutive years after their release, while just over 10 percent of convicts in non-free world programs held consecutive employment in that same time.