“I help You, You Help Me”
Unconditional, non-judgmental, non-prejudice, non-racist, innocent, loving, protector and companion; all of those listed are what animals bring to someone’s life. Anyone who has ever owned a pet would know and understand that those factors are characteristics of the animal that a person owns. Animals do not judge humans because they are not capable of judging. Animals however, do have the capacity to love, care for, protect and be loyal to humans. Many individuals who end up incarcerated, on probation or parole have not had a proper and loving home to grow up in. A lot of inmates have not experienced unconditional Love that a parent is supposed to have for their child. Many inmates, probationers, and parolees have never experienced emotions involving acceptance, care, love and responsibility because no one has given them a chance to do so. Animals can give a prisoner and parolee a fighting chance at a successful and productive citizenship within our society.
According to the Department of Corrections in New Zealand, a correctional facility in Milton, New Zealand has a farm on the grounds of the property. This farm consists of thousands of animals, including cows, pigs, and boars; the inmates are expected to care for and raise the animals. This facility has proven that the animals being raised on this farm are not being treated inhumanely, and are being well cared for. “Corrections Inmate Employment (CIE) Piggery in Christchurch has recently passed the Royal New Zealand Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (RSPCA) for the third consecutive year.” (News, 2011). Meaning that, these animals are actually being looked after, well cared for, and properly treated by prison inmates. Furthermore, helping the inmates learn responsibility, empathy, and love from the animals, rehabilitates the inmates as well. These inmates have proven to be successful at their duties to care for the animals; one inmate already has a job lined up at a piggery in New Zealand upon his release (News, 2011). Moreover, when the inmates begin working on the farm, they are first expected to take specific classes. The classes teach the inmates about raising cattle, first aid, forklift and chainsaw training and other various courses involving farm and cattle ranches. This program is successful because it allows the inmates to feel a sense of belonging, and also it enhances their pride because they are given the opportunity to become successful at a job.
In becoming more prideful about a meaningful job, the inmate becomes calmer and more relaxed; this may lead to a less aggressive prison inmate within the walls of incarceration. That being said, there is a program in Lincoln County, Oregon that is based around the same concept. The inmates travel to an animal rescue facility that is operated by the county sheriff’s department; the inmates are to socialize, exercise, feed, clean up after and care for the animal. A lot of times, according to the Oregonian, the inmates become attached to the animals. With this attachment, the inmate feels accepted and loved; thus, the inmates gain the desire to be successful (Tobias, 2009). Furthermore, animals are also being rehabilitated simultaneously; animals are trained and rehabilitated for another chance at life. Rehabilitated animals become adoptable into a loving and caring home, instead of the alternative which would be euthanasia. On another note, even aggressive animals or dogs can be helped through the use of animals in corrections.
Another program based right here in the Bay Area of California is using similar concepts of rehabilitating animals and inmates together. The Peninsula Humane Society has paired troubled, aggressive dogs with inmates incarcerated in the Maple Street Correctional Facility in San Mateo, CA. These aggressive dogs are integrated into the prison for eight weeks; there at the facility, a single inmate is responsible for the dogs training (Schwartz, 2011). The inmate is supposed to socialize, exercise, train, and care for the dog in all ways during their stay in the prison. On top of the inmate taking sole responsibility for the dog, there are training classes that both the inmate and the dog will attend. Professional dog trainers are to teach the inmate how to train the dog and offer obedience training for them (Schwartz, 2011). This program allows the inmate once again, to feel important because they are contributing to the welfare of another living being. The inmates are literally giving these dogs another chance at life because they can be adopted by people that have loving homes. Even better, some of the inmates have adopted the pet they rehabilitated upon their release (Schwartz, 2011). This could prove to be extremely successful at lowering recidivism rates because having that pet will give the parolee or ex-con that sense of need. When an inmate knows that he or she is needed, and the animal depends on them for care, food, and shelter, it is less likely that the inmate will let that animal down. In result, the love and the bond the animal grows to share with the inmate will develop the sense of responsibility the inmate needs to become successful.
Animal rehabilitation can be a great asset to our country, and the programs need to start within the prisons and juvenile facilities. Bringing rescue animals, and animals that have been abused into the correctional facility with inmates can offer rehabilitation on both sides. Criteria should be met among the inmates however, in order for them to be given the opportunity for this type of rehabilitation. In other words, a domestic abuse offender would not qualify to rehabilitate animals on any level. However, the teenager that stole a car and smoked marijuana because his friends dared him may be introduced to his new best friend. The animals offer a calm, non-aggressive relationship within the bars of a facility where nothing but violence exists. Following the integration of animals into the facilities, we can offer the inmates the privilege of traveling to the animal shelter to help the shelter. As a volunteer worker, the animal shelter will not have to spend time and money hiring people. With the inmates working in the facility, the animal shelter employess gain the opportunity to work on funding foster care and adoption programs for the animals once they are rehabilitated.
It is my strong opinion and suggestion for local corrections facilities to become aware of the programs mentioned in this blog; and understand that animal and prison rehabilitation can and will work. The opportunity for successful animal adoptions, lesser recidivism rates and higher morality within the prisons are all available through animal and prison interaction. This also can possibly lead inmates into jobs, internships, and educational programs in order to become successful working in the animal business. Giving animals and prisoners another chance can really change and uplift prison life in regards to violence and aggression toward other inmates. Following that, animals in the prisons will not be so feared by inmates because the animals will not be there to sniff out their drugs. Quite the opposite, the animals will be living with the inmates offering their love, acceptance, and companionship. Only success can come from bringing animals into the correctional facility.
References
Corrections- New Treatment: Prisoners and Animals. (2011, November 29). Retrieved November 29, 2011, from law.jrank.org: http://law.jrank.org/pages/12053/Corrections-New-Treatment-Prisoners-Animals.html
News, C. (2011, September 2). Prison Farm Animals Well Looked After. Retrieved November 29, 2011, from Department of Corrections in New Zealand: http://www.corrections.govt.nz/news-and-publications/magazines-and-newsletters/corrections-news/2012/corrections_news_sept-oct_2011/prison_farm_animals_well_looked_after.html
Schwartz, C. (2011, July 12). SPCA TAILS Program: Peninsula Humane Society Pairs Problem Pups with Prisoners. San Francisco, CA, United States.
Tobias, L. (2009, October 30). Lincoln County Shelter Offers Second Chance to both Pets, Inmates. Retrieved November 29, 2011, from The Orgonian: http://www.oregonlive.com/news/index.ssf/2009/10/lincoln_county_shelter_offers.html
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