PRISON DOG PROGRAM ~ FORMOSA

The Sentient World of Animals

Prison Dog Program Benefits Inmates and Stray Dogs
By Hsinchu News Group, Formosa (Originally in Chinese)


Warden Huang and the stray dogs he cares for
Mr. Huang Rong-rui, the warden of Hsinchu Prison, loves dogs. After his pet dog died, he turned his attention to stray dogs, befriending the four-legged friends that wander around the prison premises. In time, the dogs began to show up regularly at a chosen site, waiting to be fed. Warden Huang once saw a TV program on how a US prison allowed inmates to raise and train stray dogs. This inspired him to create a first-of-its-kind prison in Formosa that offers shelter to stray animals and places inmates in charge of feeding, managing and training them. He hoped that through interaction with animals, inmates could learn self-control, emotion management and respect for life. The trained dogs could be made available for adoption and this would help take care of the problem of stray dogs as well.

The plan received immediate, overwhelming support from the Formosan Animal-Assisted Activity and Therapy Association (FAAATA), which helps choose suitable dogs from animal shelters and provides professional instruction to interested inmates on how to take care of them.

The inmates first built a kennel by welding scrap metals together. The prison then organized a training program for seven selected inmates who loved dogs or were experienced in raising dogs, and assigned a dog to each of them. Professional FAAATA instructors currently hold weekly classes for the inmates on dog-caring and training.

Over the past month, the dogs and their trainers have developed a loving relationship. The trainers work at the kennel from 9 to 4 each day, feeding, training, bathing and keeping the dogs free of bugs. Each of the dogs can now recognize his or her partner and perform according to instruction. The inmates have learned much from the program. One of the participants, Mr. Luo, said that although considerable effort was required to establish an affectionate and trusting relationship with a prison dog, he had mastered the special skills of taking care of, beautifying and training a dog. He plans to hone and make use of these skills after he is released from prison. The success of the Prison Dog plan has encouraged the prison to draw up plans for training drug dogs to prevent the smuggling of drugs into prison.

Though launched not long ago, the Prison Dog plan in Hsinchu has proved to be remarkably successful. Prisoners have regained self-confidence, assimilated the concept of loving animals, and learned to love themselves and respect life. Furthermore, the once abandoned but now professionally trained dogs are able to accompany aged inmates or those serving long prison terms to give them comfort and psychological support. They can also assist the prison staff in patrolling and ensuring prison security. In addition, they are available for adoption by other people. Hopefully the Prison Dog plan can be introduced to every prison in Formosa and benefit both inmates and stray dogs.

Prison Dog Programs ~ Finding Hope

Visting the State Prison in Florida to see if we can start a prison dog program
~ This Doberman loves people and other dogs ~

The warden from a prison in Central Florida and the warden of a prison in Miami on right

The wardens of a Federal prison in Jessup, GA

Our visit to the prison in Jessup GA

Pathways To Hope Prison Dog Project ~ http://prisondogs.shutterfly.com

AUSTRALIA ~ PRISON TRAINED SERVICE DOGS GRADUATE

Media Statements
Minister for Police, Corrective Services and Sport
The Honourable Judy Spence MP
Tuesday, April 29, 2008

First 'Pups in Prison' graduates to help disabled:

Corrective Services Minister Judy Spence with assistance dog Taylor, along with Darling Downs Correctional Centre General Manager Andrew Pike, centre, and Assistance Dogs Australia Chief Executive Officer Richard Lord

Spence Corrective Services Minister Judy Spence with assistance dog Taylor, along with Darling Downs Correctional Centre General Manager Andrew Pike, centre, and Assistance Dogs Australia Chief Executive Officer Richard LordThe first assistance dogs to participate in Queensland's innovative Pups in Prison program have today graduated from their 14 month training course at Darling Downs Correctional Centre.

Corrective Services Minister Judy Spence presented black Labradors siblings Toomba and Truman and Golden Retrievers siblings Topaz and Taylor, to Assistance Dogs Australia (ADA) Chief Executive Officer Richard Lord, during a ceremony on the Speaker's Green at Parliament House.

Ms Spence said: "This program is a Queensland-first that brings puppies and prisoners together as part of a rehabilitation partnership between Assistance Dogs Australia and Queensland Corrective Services.

"These dogs have undergone 14 months basic training and socialising with prisoners at the Darling Downs Correctional Centre (DDCC) near Toowoomba, west of Brisbane.

"They will now be returned to ADA for a six month intensive training program before being matched to people with physical disabilities to enhance the person's quality of life and improve their level of independence.

"The dogs will eventually be able to turn light switches off and on, press pedestrian crossing buttons and pick up and retrieve items - tasks which people in wheelchairs find extremely difficult.

"This government is pleased to be part of an initiative that is making a real difference to lives of Queenslanders in need."

Ms Spence said the partnership with Assistance Dogs Australia is a prime example of how Queensland Corrective Services works with community organisations to provide prisoners with new opportunities for rehabilitation while giving something worthwhile back to the community.

Assistance dog showing obedience at the graduation day"Pups in Prison has provided prisoners with a positive experience, establishing new levels of responsibility, self-esteem and communication skills, while also developing patience, compassion and cooperation," Ms Spence said.

"Assistance Dogs Australia does a fantastic job in their work training companion dogs for people with disabilities and it is a pleasure to be involved in the important role they play in our community."

Assistance Dogs Australia CEO Richard Lord said the Pups in Prison program has been a huge success.

"We are very excited to see the inaugural graduation from the Darling Downs Correctional Centre," Mr Lord said.

"The pups look fantastic and are very well trained. The program has united the officers, prisoners and community volunteers whose combined efforts to train and socialise the pups has been outstanding.

"These remarkable dogs will change for the better the lives of young people who have suffered from developmental disabilities or quadriplegia as a result of traumatic accidents.

"We look forward to continuing the program with Queensland Corrective Services," Mr Lord said.

Ms Spence said the program has also provided significant learning opportunities for staff.

"Staff at Darling Downs and the volunteer obedience trainers have done a great job in developing the program," Ms Spence said.
Assistance dogs demonstrate their training "I know they are now looking forward to the arrival of the second group of puppies, due to start training at the centre in July."

Assistance dog showing obedience at the graduation day

Assistance dogs demonstrate their training

Media Contact: 3239 6172

Prisoners Train Dogs for Wounded Marines

Camp Lejeune Prisoners Train Dogs for Wounded Marines Peter Biello


WILMINGTON, NC (2008-06-27) Prisoners at the Camp Lejeune Marine Base Brig are doing something no military prisoners in the US have done before: they're training dogs to help Marines wounded in the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. The dogs will perform more than seventy different tasks for their disabled owners, and for their able-bodied trainers, the dogs perform another service.

Twenty-three year old Mark wakes up at oh-five-hundred in the long, hollow bedroom he shares with nearly a dozen other prisoners in the brig at Camp Lejeune. Brig rules won't allow us to use Mark's last name. Along side his narrow cot is a cage, and inside that cage is Mark's constant companion, a black Lab mutt named Roxy.

Mark and another prisoner take care of Roxy. Mark is one of a select few prisoners enrolled in a special program guided by Carolina Canines, a dog-training company based in Wilmington.

"Being an inmate here, you constantly think about what you did. And it creates a nagging thought in the back of your head that's always there," Mark says. "But having someone like Roxy be a companion for you and reciprocate the love back to you, it takes your mind off those thoughts."

Someday Roxy will serve Marines injured in the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. And don't call what Roxy does tricks. Mark says he and his partner have been teaching her skills.

"She can retrieve items really good. She's just learning to retrieve clothing items and put them in the laundry basket and put them in the washing machine. She's just now learning to mess with the light switch, turn it on and off."

Trainers from Carolina Canines visit the brig a few times a week to guide lessons and dole out homework assignments. Outside in the brig's fenced-in courtyard, trainer Vicky Wilcox shouts instructions to Marines dressed head-to-toe in their orange brig-issued jumpsuits.

"You wanna just tuck your leash in your pouch and use yourself and your little cookies to motivate your dog to stay with you."

Rick Hairston, president of Carolina Canines, says the program is a way for these Marines to atone for what they've done. And because they're able to make good use of their time behind bars, Hairston says he's noticed that these Marines are the only ones in the whole brig who smile.

"They've got a chance to do some things that nobody else is doing, and so they have a new leash on life, so to speak."

Eventually the dogs will be able to open refrigerators and complete bank transactions for their wounded owners. Those skills are hard to learn, so the dogs practice an easier exercise, a slow, careful walk through an obstacle course made of white plastic pipes.

And before they go back inside the brig for more training, the Marines lead all the dogs to the chain link fence surrounding the courtyard. Then, on command, it's business time.

"They're all in sync?" I ask.

"They're taught to go potty on command," Hairston explains.

"Not together at the same time."

"But that's what they were doing, right?"

"They were just given the command at the same time," Hairston says. "Thing is, you get ready to go on an airplane, you go to the bathroom, right? These dogs can't. So they have to totally eliminate before they get on an aircraft."

Once inside the brig, Roxy's trainer Mark puts her in a harness. Then a Marine in a wheelchair grabs the harness, and with a little encouragement, Roxy pulls him across the smooth brig floor. For her next lesson, Roxy learns how to pull a laundry basket.

Mark's face beams with pride as he watches Roxy practice. He says in a place where life can be drab and depressing, Roxy makes him feel alive.

"We messed up. But at least we can do something productive with our time while we're in here. And it's going to benefit a life of someone who really needs it."

Mark says Roxy might be the first to complete the program this summer. When he gets out of the brig in a few months, he says he wants to train service dogs for a living. Mark says he'll miss Roxy, but it's comforting to know she'll be helping a wounded Marine who needs her.

Do you have insight or expertise on this topic? Please e-mail us, we'd like to hear from you. news@whqr.org.

CELL MATES

Cell Mates

A Ray of Hope in a World of Regret
the win-win nature of prison-pet partnerships

November 2007 issue

By Katie Marsico

For inmates in America’s prison system, it’s easy to regard time served as a punishment instead of a porthole for positive and productive change. Hardened criminals can become even harsher and more hopeless as they struggle to adapt to an environment that is often devoid of empathy and healthy interactions. Men and women who prove exceptions to this rule typically undergo a life-changing experience while behind bars, and for some, such an episode may involve a four-legged catalyst. Prison-pet partnerships are gaining recognition as opportunities for incarcerated people to practice constructive, compassionate behavior while aiding creatures who are similarly in need of a second chance.

An Inspiration for Inmates

“Like it or not,” says Sarah Stevens, “many prisoners will one day re-enter the general populace. What they learn about themselves and the skills they develop in a program like ours can ultimately translate into more caring and productive people.” Stevens is the president of Mixed Up Mutts, Inc., a nonprofit animal-welfare organization based out of LaPorte, Indiana. She is also one of the founders of Prison Tails, which operates in conjunction with a correctional facility in nearby Westville. This program partners dogs that would otherwise face euthanasia in shelters with inmates who instruct them in basic obedience through repetition and positive reinforcement. Two prescreened prisoners are matched with a single animal 24 hours a day for eight weeks, at which point the dogs are, ideally, considered improved candidates for adoption.Similar programs exist throughout the country, though several involve inmates preparing dogs for careers as service animals to the disabled or even working on agility training. While the majority of prison-pet partnerships feature canines, a handful deal with cats and horses, and nearly all include animals that were previously homeless, unwanted, or part of the shelter system. According to Stevens, the powerful influence such creatures have on prisoners is remarkable.“The program works because offenders can identify with the plight of the shelter dog that has been discarded and warehoused for his mistakes. Feeling love for and from the animals is also often a surprising and emotional experience for the [inmates], who shed tears when their ‘bunky’ for the last eight weeks leaves for his new home. By caring for the dog’s every need, prisoners discover their capacity for responsible, patient, and affectionate behavior.” Gayle Woods, executive director of the Second Chance Prison Canine Program (SCPCP), concurs. Based out of Tucson, the SCPCP connects inmates at two correctional facilities in Florence, Arizona, with shelter dogs. These teams then tackle curriculums ranging from puppy training to basic obedience to cultivating specialized skills related to serving the disabled. As Woods explains, the fact that prisoners are effectively aiding both the animals and society is inevitably linked to their personal transformation. “We worked with one inmate who essentially said to us, ‘I am at a point…where I feel like I need to give back to society because I took someone’s life. I can’t undo what I have done, but maybe if I can give back, something good can come out of it.’”

Improving the Lives of People and Animals

Sister Pauline Quinn’s extensive experience with prison-pet programs dates back to 1981 and has given her reason to attest to the enormous good that does indeed result from their existence. She operates the Pathways to Hope Prison Dog Project, which has started prison-pet partnerships that stretch from Maine to California and in between. Program regimens vary, depending in part on what the dogs are being specifically instructed to do. On the whole, however, inmates are encouraged to interact with animals as much as possible, from feeding to potty walks to belly rubs. Quinn emphasizes that the canines in question receive exceptional care.“All the dogs are socialized and loved. They have regular checkups, are fed well, and are given the opportunity to play. They sense that they’re regarded as special, and I believe that adds to their lives.” In many prison-pet partnerships, dogs spend the duration of training—which typically lasts anywhere from six weeks to a year—residing within the prison system, frequently sharing living space with inmates in their cells. Other correctional facilities feature a special dormitory area set aside for participants, while some prisons house animals in kennels or cooperate with animal-welfare groups to routinely transport dogs from off-site locations. Volunteers generally take future service dogs for trips outside prison grounds regularly to familiarize them with everyday settings where they’ll eventually be expected to assist disabled people. Apart from saving the lives of unwanted animals, the majority of prison-pet partnerships aim to provide training that primes dogs for a fulfilling existence once they complete instruction. “A dog leaves the program more mature and better able to understand the expectations of his human housemates,” Stevens says. “This in turn allows a pet to more easily adapt to a new adoptive family.” But as win-win as the aforesaid scenario sounds, prison-pet partnerships aren’t for just anyone. Most programs include careful selection and subsequent supervision by both prison staff and animal-welfare volunteers. Dogs that are overly aggressive often don’t qualify for involvement, as is also sometimes the case for offenders convicted of animal abuse or inmates who demonstrate unsatisfactory behavior behind bars. Those prisoners deemed eligible are usually expected to undergo a rigorous screening and interview process, followed by subsequent training sessions that prepare them for their roles as temporary guardians. Such measures are necessary to ensure that prison-pet partnerships provide the greatest possible benefit to both participants and the larger communities that incarcerated men and women will eventually rejoin.

Contributing to the Community

“It’s critical to keep in mind that society also reaps several rewards from these programs,” Woods says. “In some cases, the disabled receive highly trained service dogs at no cost, allowing them greater independence at home and within the workplace. In other scenarios, the general public has the opportunity to adopt well-mannered pets. And the overall community is positively influenced by a pre-release program that helps prepare prisoners to function as productive citizens.” Some inmates who serve their time are so motivated by their experiences with pet-prison partnerships that they sign on as volunteers even after they re-enter mainstream society. Yet for those men and women who remain behind bars after their canine companions venture forth to new guardians, it goes without saying that their efforts nonetheless leave indelible marks on people’s lives. Woods cites the sentiments expressed by the disabled recipient of an SCPCP dog named Chance: “Chance provides unconditional love, laughter, and a sense of security. He gives me so much more than assistance—having him by my side at work is like getting paid to hang out with my best friend. I’m extremely grateful for…the volunteers and the devoted inmates who have worked and continue to work so hard with these special dogs.” More Information:

Pathways to Hope Prison Dog Project PathwaysToHope.org