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| New Equine Vocational Program a Fresh Start for Inmates |
| By Camden Chronicle Independent |
| Published: 06/04/2003 |
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'We think this will be much, much more than simply a horse rescue program,' said SCTRF President Kip Elser during a recent meeting at the National Steeplechase Museum. 'We are trying to raise $125,000 for a small barn and classroom that can be added on at Wateree, along graduated-size paddocks. We hope to start with 10 horses by late summer.' John Carmichael, Wateree River Correctional`s warden, said he and SCDOC Director Jon Ozmint are excited about the program. 'This would be a vocational training program as well as a conduit for racehorses to get to private adoption for pleasure riding,' Carmichael said. 'We will train the inmates to care for these horses, so that when they leave they can work at any farm, performing horse care, grooming, riding -- the whole nine yards -- of horse management.' Carmichael said he recently visited a similar 18-year-old program at a prison in Walkill, N.Y. 'They are placing just about every inmate into the horse industry,' Carmichael said. Elser explained that after each horse goes through the program, it would be adoptable by private individuals for pleasure riding or possibly for organizations for the handicapped or nursing homes. 'We also have a police department in the state that is interested in using the rehabilitated horses for a new mounted patrol division,' Elser added. If a horse can't be fully rehabilitated for adoption, Elser said it would be placed at a satellite farm and 'pastured out.' Ozmint said he believes the project will demonstrate how the private sector can help inmates find jobs. 'I wish we had even more willingness from the public to get involved in programs like this,' Ozmint said. 'I also know that programs like this make a difference in the inmates lives. I visited the Broad River Correctional Institute recently, and there's an inmate there who takes care of some cattle. He cares for those cows so much he wanted to stop the other inmates from throwing rocks at them. I'm sure it was the first time he really cared for something in his life.' Carmichael emphasized the SCDOC's goal is to help inmates ready to rejoin the general population. 'We want to get these men to the point where they will no longer be a tax burden but back in the community as taxpayers,' Carmichael said. Ozmint said there is also a similar program with part of the state's female inmate population in rehabilitating greyhound dogs. Carmichael added, 'We also have bloodhounds at Wateree, and what I've seen of all these programs is that within a month of taking care of an animal -- the change in the inmates is phenomenal.' He said it is Camden's love of horses that is helping to bring the national thoroughbred retirement foundation's program to South Carolina for the first time. 'This will be the first program to have inmates involved from a horse's acceptance to adoption. Wateree will become a one-stop shop, if you will, with part-time teachers helping to create barn-worthy inmates and horses,' Carmichael said. Carmichael said he and Ozmint hope Wateree's program is successful enough to duplicate around the state. Elser said there are SCTRF volunteers in Aiken, Charleston, Edisto, Kingstree and Elloree who will help the group raise the necessary funds to launch the program here. 'In addition to the first 10 horses, we hope to add 20 more by year's end and another 50 the following year,' Elser said. 'To do that through 2004, we need a rough budget of $100,000, or $1,200 per horse, although we may be able to do it cheaper.' Elser said the group is launching a three-pronged, statewide public awareness campaign. 'We need to raise that $1,200 per horse, perhaps by having organizations or private individuals sponsor a horse. Two or three people could even sponsor a horse together,' said Elser, who added that the Rotary and Golden K clubs have already expressed an interest. He said the SCTRF also must raise funds to care for future horses up to a year in advance. 'And we need not only to get smaller donations from the public but also help in finding deserving horses for the program,' Elser said. Elser said they are targeting June 1 to raise enough funds to start building the barn and accepting horses in August or September. 'Every time I turn around, someone is asking me 'When can I help? When can I do something?' So, we are ready to roll,' Elser said. Carmichael said Wateree has already set aside acreage for the program and is beginning to interview the SCDOC employees with some equine experience to act as the program`s manager. 'Even with 148 layoffs recently, we will have a uniformed position as manager,' he said. 'Although the candidates have no experience with thoroughbreds, they have worked with walking and quarter-horses before.' Carmichael and Elser hope to hold the SCTRF's next meeting at Wateree so members can see where the facilities will be built. There, Carmichael said, he hopes members will see what good everybody can do by ensuring the horse adoption program's success. 'This will allow us to work on establishing job skills for the inmates, he said. 'We also help them establish job contacts before they go home. Just sending them out there is not getting the job done. Anything we can do to slow the revolving door in our prison system is a good idea.' |
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