The Pet Tree House - Where Pets Are Family Too : Inmate The Pet Tree House - Where Pets Are Family Too : Inmate
Showing posts with label Inmate. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Inmate. Show all posts

Tuesday, April 21, 2020

Pets in Prison: The Rescue Dogs Teaching Californian Inmates Trust and Responsibility


Bringing rescue dogs and prisoners together in a remarkable rehabilitation programme in California is helping inmates learn valuable lessons

On an idyllic sun-drenched day in California, I find myself in jail. But unlike the 5,000 or so inmates of North Kern State Prison, located 150 miles north of Los Angeles, I’m here voluntarily, accompanied by Zach Skow, a man on a mission to bring dogs into every US prison.

Skow is the founder of Pawsitive Change, a rehabilitation programme that pairs rescue dogs with inmates. He began a pilot programme at California City Correctional Facility in January 2016, teaching inmates to become dog trainers, and it’s now been rolled out to four more California state prisons and one female juvenile correction centre.

To read more on this story, click here: Pets in Prison: The Rescue Dogs Teaching Californian Inmates Trust and Responsibility

FOLLOW US!
/

Monday, October 23, 2017

Heartwarming Reunion Between a Military Veteran, His Service Dog, and The Inmate Who Trained Him


You see it happening more and more where prisons are adding programs where inmates work with dogs. The inmates provide the dogs with care and training, while the inmates in return learn trust, compassion and responsibility. Laurie, an inmate at Bedford Hills Correctional Facility, helped train a dog named Pax, who would go on to be a service dog.

Pax was eventually paired with Bill Campbell, a military veteran who suffers from PTSD and memory loss and has a major fear of crowds. When Campbell received Pax, his whole life changed. Having a dog by his side has helped him cope with the horrible effects of war and has made it possible for him to get through everyday life. Aware that Pax also helped other people along the way, like Laurie, before being paired with himself, he thought it would be nice to bring Pax back to where it all began for him. He took Pax back to the facility to visit Laurie, and their reunion was so heartwarming!





FOLLOW US!
/

Thursday, December 31, 2015

The Prison Pets Program at the Medium-Security Maryland Correctional Training Center Has Been Suspended After a Prison Worker and an Inmate Were Bitten by Dogs


Hagerstown, Maryland  — Maryland's prison agency said Wednesday it has suspended one facility's program allowing inmates to prepare rescued pets for adoption after a prison worker and an inmate were bitten by dogs in separate incidents in recent months.

The civilian worker required stitches for a bite in the face, and the inmate suffered a puncture wound to his hand, a spokesman said.

The suspension of the Prison Pets program at the medium-security Maryland Correctional Training Center near Hagerstown does not affect animal-centered programs at nine other Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services institutions, including two programs similar to Prison Pets, spokesman Robert Thomas said. Most of the other programs involve inmates training service dogs.

Thomas said the Prison Pets program was launched at the 180-bed prison with good intentions but without higher approval of any guidelines or agreements with the animal shelters that supplied the dogs and cats, which otherwise would have been euthanized.

"We think the program has merit. It needs to be implemented in the correct way," Thomas said. He said agency officials hope to make a decision about the program's future by the end of January.

The Herald-Mail first reported the suspension Tuesday. In an earlier story in July, Warden Phil Morgan told the newspaper that the program, then a year old, had had "a total calming effect" on the prison's inmate population.

Thomas told The Associated Press on Wednesday that the warden or his representative should have made sure the program was properly approved. He said the warden sent authorization paperwork to an assistant Division of Correction commissioner last fall, but the assistant commissioner retired in November, apparently without taking action on the proposal.

The program adopted out 100 dogs and 30 cats, Thomas said. He said he expects the 26 animals remaining in the program to be adopted by Jan. 8.


FOLLOW US!
/

Thursday, June 11, 2015

The Thoroughbred Retirement Foundation (TRF) Second Chances Program is Pairing Inmates with Horses at Correctional Facilities in Nine States


More and more, animal therapy is proving an incredible outlet for the psychological and physiological betterment of people from diverse walks of life.

For instance, we recently reported a story about a documentary called Castaways that chronicles the rehabilitation program of unwanted dogs who are paired with prison inmates. There’s no question of the lasting effect that that two have on each other by the end of their program — but similar programs with different animals are also successful. The ranch below is one such example.

Much like the dogs of the aforementioned program, the horses at Thoroughbred Retirement Foundation are castaways of their own — former racing horses from many different backgrounds who, for any number of reasons, were no longer of use to their breeders. ABC News reports that a program called The TRF Second Chances Program is pairing inmates with horses at correctional facilities in nine states. Equine therapy has long been proven effective for victims of trauma and PTSD, as well as for people with unique physical therapy needs. But it’s benefits at Second Chances yield something else entirely. “While TRF Second Chances began as a vocational program,” says its website, “it wasn’t long before other benefits of the program were realized; inmates not only learned a viable skill but also gained confidence and a sense of empathy. Studies have shown a reduction in recidivism rates at facilities that host the program.”

“It taught me patience,” says Jose Sotomayor from the Bronx, NY. “Now I look at things differently. I’m more calm. I think things through. It keeps me out of trouble.”



FOLLOW US!
/

Tuesday, April 21, 2015

Esther, a Severely Abused Puppy, Was Rehabilitated Through the Prison-Trained K-9 Companion Program: An Emotional Goodbye


Castaways is a documentary series chronicling the successful rehabilitation program of inmates that train unwanted dogs for re-introduction or adoption. The series highlights the plight that both prisoners and unwanted dogs face, and how an unlikely union between the two brings out a change in character of both man and beast — each trying to save and serve the other. The results are life-changing for the prisoner, the dog, and the future pet owner.

In the video below, you’ll meet a dog named Esther who was severely abused in a puppy mill before being rehabilitated through the Prison-trained K-9 Companion Program. It’s simply incredible to watch as Jason, a prison inmate, forms his bond with Esther, and eventually must say an emotional goodbye after successfully training her and helping her emerge from her shell.

We’ve seen the impact made when these two groups of societal outcasts meet. It’s truly heartwarming — because, while many people shun both inmates and “undesirable” breeds like pit bulls and rottweilers, this program gives them an opportunity to look to each other for affection, friendship, and understanding and to foster each other’s growth. This type of program should be employed in more prisons across the country.

FOLLOW US!
/

Wednesday, April 15, 2015

Pendelton Correctional Facility: Forever Home for 12 Stray Cats


Twelve cats from Anderson, Indiana’s Animal Protection League have now found their forever homes in an unlikely place, a correctional facility. The stray cats now have a place to stay and people to seek affection from in the Pendleton Correctional Facility.

An unfinished office at the correctional facility is now designed for cats. Litter boxes have been set up; scratch posts and walkways placed for all the dozen cats to enjoy. Instead of being confined to cages, these cats now found a perfect sanctuary with inmates to care for them.

Animal Protection League director Maleah Stringer said that placing the cats from her no-kill cat shelter into this new program will increase the chances of them getting adopted. “I’ve had offenders tell me when they got an animal, it was the first time they can remember they were allowing themselves to care about something, to love something. That’s a pretty powerful statement,” said Stinger in a WISH Channel 8 report.

The prisoners delegated with sanctuary tasks spend most of their day grooming, feeding and cleaning up after the felines. Human and feline relationship has worked out pretty well so far, according to prison spokeswoman Michelle Rains.

The prison already hosts a dog training program and putting up a cat sanctuary only proved to be a good idea. The new program helps cats interact with humans and other cats as they are allowed to roam free inside the office.

The program has taught inmates to learn more about responsibility as well. “This program means a lot. … It gives me something to look forward to each and every day. It gives me a reason to strive to do better than I did yesterday and to stay out of trouble,” said inmate Barry Matlock.

Matlock also shared his heart-warming message about the cats. "I deserve to be in prison; I committed a crime, but these animals, they live like we live in the cell houses in the cages and they don't deserve that."

The cat sanctuary program at the facility has garnered a lot of interest from inmates and those who wish to apply are carefully screened before being allowed to participate. This heartening story was also covered in the Herald Bulletin.




FOLLOW US!
/

Tuesday, January 27, 2015

They Put Prison Inmates In Charge Of Caring For Shelter Dogs


An inspiring documentary titled Dogs on the Inside shares the journey of prison inmates and neglected and abused shelter dogs at a Massachusetts correctional facility. Together, they build trust and respect as they work towards a second chance at life. As their relationship deepens, the inmates discover parts of themselves that they thought were lost forever.



FOLLOW US!
/

Saturday, January 4, 2014

Workers at Chicago Animal Shelter Lose Jobs - Inmates Begin Cleaning Animal Kennels



Seven days a week, year around, 16 Cook County jail inmates clean kennels and more at the Animal Care and Control building. The program started two years ago, but now, workers say inmates are replacing jobs.

An Animal Care and Control worker of 6 years who asked to remain anonymous says at least 11 full time employees were laid off four months after the facility's kennel-inmate program launched.

"When you say you know we're going to lay you off for fiscal reasons, we expect that as Chicagoans but then you turn around and you say we're going to bring in people who are incarcerated to do your job that hurts people," the worker told FOX 32's Tisha Lewis. "Some people have worked there 20 years so when you have someone come in and say we're going to bring in these inmates and they're going to do cleaning and stuff like that and you know what, there's going to be a lay off."

Cook County Sheriff's spokesperson Cara Smith says the inmates earn a dollar a day. They clean the cages and feed and water the animals before business hours.

"It's my understanding that the layoffs had nothing to do with this program, the work that's being done now is not being done by anyone who would have been displaced," Smith explained.

But this volunteer say otherwise about the inmates cleaning cages.

"I'm not involved in the program therefore I don't have to worry about it," volunteer Robin Cember said. "[The program] was actually done by people who were employed here."

"Some of these people were averaging pay of mid-30's and some of them lived on the West side or they lived in Englewood and stuff like that, their families relied on that money so that's going to affect those communities too," the anonymous worker added.

Most of the inmates in the kennel program are serving short jail sentences for non-violent crimes. The money they make can be used at the jail commissary to purchase small items. A worker says most of the employees laid off made about $30,000 a year.





FOLLOW US!
/