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Animals As Therapy for Inmates

Anyone who has a pet knows the joy they can bring to a person's life. But animals can even be powerful agents of change, altering the courses of humans' existences. Programs involving inmates in correctional facilities training dogs to help disabled veterans are proof of this.

  1. How It Works

    • Inmates train dogs to aid disabled people by fetching items, guiding their new owners and calling for help. Often the dogs live in inmates' cells during training, sleeping in crates and training during the day. The inmates receive instruction on training the dogs during supervised visits with experts. After training is completed, the animals are turned over to their new owners.

    Who Are the Inmates?

    • Most frequently, the participants in these projects are women. Some of the inmates have committed crimes as serious as murder, but often in self-defense, especially in cases of stalking or abusive spouses. They have been hand-picked by wardens or other supervisory staff for their aptitude for nurturing and learning.

    Benefits for Inmates

    • Inmates in these programs have cited the ability to do something good as a major factor in the emotional healing process. Often, these women have been victims themselves, and they find it reassuring to give and receive love from the animals with which they've inevitably bonded. They also experience the satisfaction of creating good from seemingly hopeless circumstances. And the inmates have an emotional stake in the success of the dogs' future owners since they learn a bit of the veterans' stories while training their canine companions.

    Young Inmates

    • These women have the benefit of wisdom from age and experience. But they have younger counterparts in juvenile facilities that receive as much therapy from dogs as the adults do. While the youths don't participate in training programs, they receive visits from volunteers and their pets, simply for the joy and comfort the dogs bring. Sadly, these are sometimes the only visitors the young offenders receive, making them all the more poignant. They bring love and tenderness into lives sorely lacking in these qualities, if only temporarily.

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