After a twenty-five year prison term, some inmates might be released into society with a hardened heart, becoming tough after a long period of time behind bars.

But at Kentucky's Correctional Institute for Women (KCIW), offenders are softening their hearts with the warm fur of puppies thanks to Paws with Purpose, a non-profit organization that operates out of Louisville. Currently, eleven dogs are being trained at KCIW by eleven different offenders – all of whom have developed outstanding relationships with the pups.

“It's hard for some of these women to find a purpose for their lives after they've been sentenced to twenty-five years without parole,” says Kathy Jones, President of Paws with Purpose. “This program is giving them a purpose because what they are doing makes a difference to someone on the outside of the facility.”

Paws with Purpose, working with the Kentucky Department of Corrections, established the Assist Dog program at the facility almost two years ago. The Assist Dog program was developed in order to train service dogs to help individuals with disabilities. The program has been successful, benefiting puppies and offenders alike, but officials were initially skeptical of the pairing.

 “When I first heard about [the Assist Dog Program], I thought ‘Oh brother, you have to be kidding me',” says Valerie Grigsby, Unit Administrator for KCIW's honor dorm, where the program runs. “But when I came to this facility and actually experienced it, it was an awesome program to see in action. I have a few women in this unit that are going to be here for quite some time – and having a dog to love has made their time much easier.”

The offenders that work with the dogs are called ‘handlers', and they train four different types of service dogs; and they train them well.

“These women are amazing trainers,” says Jones. “Our best dogs are coming out of the Department of Corrections. One handler had a puppy that was 3-months old flipping light switches on and off. That is phenomenal, at that age, for a dog to be able to do that.”

Puppies With a Purpose; Inmates with Heart

The puppies, which are provided by Paws with Purpose, live in the facility with female inmates for eighteen months. The offenders train the young dogs daily, and they are responsible for the grooming and exercise of the pups.

“I cannot say enough about the women at this facility,” says Jones. “They groom these dogs immaculately, they brush their teeth – these dogs are just really well taken care of. We just had a meeting with the warden of KCIW, and she will tell you that this program is doing more than training dogs – it's changing lives.”

After eighteen months with the offenders, the dogs graduate from the program and go on to receive final training from Paws with Purpose. Once the pups have made it through all of the training programs, they are placed with individuals with disabilities in order to help them.  The program, which is very popular at KCIW, does have criteria for the types of offenders that are eligible to become trainers.

“We require six months of clear conduct, and a sentence that is longer than five years, usually,” explains Grigsby. “One of the major issues for us is that they have time to spend with these animals because we have the dogs for quite a few months. We prefer that inmates also have a GED or high school education. If not, we want them to enroll in the GED program. We do not accept inmates who have been convicted of crimes against children or animals, and no sex offenders. These are kind of stringent guidelines but they are necessary for everyone involved.”

Once inmates are deemed eligible for participation, they go through training of their own. Professional dog trainers come to the facility and teach the offenders things such as basic obedience training, and how to positively reinforce the behavior of the pups.

“These women have gotten so good at training that it's really amazing,” says Jones. “Simply put, we would not be able to graduate and place as many dogs as we have without them.”

Training and Graduation

The inmates helping Paws with Purpose train four different types of dogs; Service Dogs are trained to help individuals with limited mobility, Signal Dogs are partnered with individuals with hearing impairments, Facility Dogs are trained to work in professional facilities such as nursing homes and rehabilitation centers, and Assisted Service Dogs are trained to help children and adults with disabilities. With the attentive training of inmates, the pups are helping disabled individuals at a brand new pace.

“Because of the time, attention and diligence of these inmate handlers, the dogs are learning at a much faster rate,” says Grigsby. “We've been able to see the dogs actually help other people. We had one lady come to the facility and speak about what a difference one of these dogs made in her life and recovery to have this dog around. – not just for assistance but for companionship. The inmates are already seeing and hearing the fruits of their labor which is so gratifying for them.”

When the pups are trained and ready for placement, some inmates do have a hard time saying goodbye. Due to the long-standing relationships they have developed with the dogs, the inmates take the time to wish their puppy companions the best.

“It is hard for these women to give the dogs back,” Jones says. “I really think it's harder for these women to give up these dogs than it is for those of us on the outside. They literally have this dog with them for twenty-four hours a day for seven days a week. It's a true sacrifice to give it up. But they want these dogs to make it – they want these dogs to help other people and experience life.”

Although the graduation of the pups is bittersweet for inmates, the benefit of the trained dogs is needed in the community. And the program has been so well-received at KCIW, officials are going to continue to support the partnership between canine and inmate.

“I am very proud of the inmates that are involved in this program,” says Grigsby. “They never cease to amaze me in the things that they can teach these dogs and their abilities are just incredible. I really want to thank Paws with Purpose for partnering with us in this program and giving us the chance to be able to do this.”

Resources:

Paws with Purpose: www.pawswithpurpose.org/