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71 Fed. Probation 38 (2007)
The Experiences of Offenders in a Prison Canine Program

handle is hein.journals/fedpro71 and id is 138 raw text is: in aarsnCnn Prga Wendy G. Turner Associate Professor, The Ohio State University IT IS VERY popular to keep animals as pets, but practitioners in various helping profes- sions, including social work, are beginning to recognize the benefits of using animals in their practices. It is no longer uncommon to find resident pets at nursing homes or mental health facilities. A growing number of correc- tional facilities are also recognizing the value of animal programs. Prisons and juvenile detention centers across the United States have begun implementing dog-training pro- grams in which offenders within the facilities train dogs for a variety of service positions. One of these programs is the Indiana Canine Assistant and Adolescent Network (ICAAN). This non-profit organization that trains and places service animals was founded in Indianapolis in 2001 by Dr. Sally Irvin. It began at a juvenile correctional facility, and it has since expanded to several correctional facilities involving males and females, both adolescent and adult. One of these facilities is a medium security facility for adult males. The program at this location was started in 2003 and currently involves six dogs and six trainers. The dogs are trained to complete a wide variety of tasks that can help to assist people with activities of daily living. When the dogs graduate from the program, they are placed with children who have physical disabilities. This qualitative research study explores the experiences of the offenders who are involved in the ICAAN program at this prison. Through in-depth interviews with each of the program participants, the researcher was able to gain insight into the ICAAN program through the experiences of the prison inmates. Literature Review The human-animal bond is a well-docu- mented phenomenon that has been around since humans began domesticating animals. Animals were raised to be workers, food, and also companions. The strength of the human-animal bond allowed companion animals to quickly adopt roles as members of the family. This is evidenced by the growing industry of pet products currently available. Beyond the basics of food and medical sup- plies, this industry has grown to include clothing and recreation for pets (Levinson & Mallon, 1997). However, animals are not the only ones who benefit from the human-animal bond. This bond can have both physical and emo- tional benefits for people (Friedman, 1995). Research has indicated a variety of posi- tive outcomes from the use of animals. For example, their use in therapy can decrease depression (Haynes, 1991), and petting a companion animal can lower one's blood pressure (Friedmann, Katcher, Thomas, Lynch, & Messent, 1983; Levitt, 1988). Research has shown that cardiac patients who own pets have a higher survival rate than those patients who are not pet owners (Fried- mann, Katcher, Lynch & Thomas, 1980). This is one of the numerous benefits companion animals can provide for the elderly (Levitt, 1988). The elderly also benefit from the companionship that a pet can provide. Many elderly persons are socially isolated, and the animal is often the only friend or companion with whom the elderly person maintains regular contact (Nieburg, 1984). Children also place great value on their relationships with animals. Research sug- gests that companion animals can be very beneficial to self-care children, as the ani- mals provide companionship and security (Heath & McKenry, 1989). The current practice of Animal-Assisted Therapy stems from the techniques of pet therapy that Boris Levinson developed in the 1960s, but the therapeutic use of animals can be traced as far back as 1792 at the York Retreat in England (Hooker, Freeman, & Stewart, 2002). In recent years, there has been an increase in the use of animal pro- grams within prisons. This is because these low-cost programs are believed to provide positive benefits to inmates and possibly reduce recidivism rates (Strimple, 2003). One of these animal programs was devel- oped at the Joseph Harp Correctional Center, a medium security prison in Oklahoma. This institution developed a therapeutic program that paired dogs with depressed inmates. Not only did the program decrease depres- sion among those inmates, but the rates of aggression decreased among the inmates as well (Haynes, 1991). More recently, the Kit Carson Correc- tional Center, a medium security prison in Colorado, has also developed a service dog training program. Evaluation of this new program has indicated enhanced morale for both inmates and staff at the institution. In addition, there have been many positive changes among the individuals who serve as dog trainers, including a decrease in high blood pressure and anxiety (Osborne & Bair, 2003). 38 FEDERAL PROBATION Volume 71 Number 1