I am an occasional listener of NPR’s Fresh Air, and I happened to catch the “Puppies Behind Bars (For A Good Cause)” segment during animal week.
Samba with Paul at the U.S. Capital
Gloria Gilbert Stoga is the founder of Puppies Behind Bars, Nora Moran is a former inmate who participated in the program while in prison and went to work for the organization after serving her sentence. Paul Bang-Knudsen is a former Marine Corps corporal who was wounded in Iraq. The dog in the story is Samba, a small black lab and Bang-Knudsen’s service dog trained through the program. Dave Davies recorded this story for Fresh Air.
Here is the podcast of the 20 minute story. You’ll laugh and cry:
The United States incarcerates about twice as many people as other countries in the developed world. Many argue we send too many people to prison for the wrong reasons, our sentencing laws often do not fit the crimes, and we do little to nothing to truly rehabilitate inmates so they can be productive citizens when they finish their prison sentences. Recidivism is higher in the U.S. than in other developed nations.
We are the last developed nation in the world to use the death penalty, even though we have clear statistics that it does not deter violent crime. Capital punishment cases cost the justice system far more money to prosecute and carry out than life sentences with no possibility of parole.
We need more programs such as Puppies Behind Bars that truly help change an inmate’s mindset and life. By helping inmates to see raising a service dog as giving back to society in a much bigger way than serving time, it teaches them to think of others and their needs. Being aware of the needs of others, that even in prison you can do something to give back to society, and in the process learn responsibility for the care of another life is tantamount to becoming a productive citizen, perhaps for the first time.
I hope to see this program grow to other cities and prisons across the country. I hope to see more effective programs introduced and implemented in every prison in the country.
October 4th, 2009 at 1:42 pm
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October 22nd, 2009 at 3:05 pm
Hello from Russia!
Can I quote a post in your blog with the link to you?
October 22nd, 2009 at 8:18 pm
Yes, you may with a link back to the blog.
November 3rd, 2009 at 6:14 pm
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Priscilla McIntire´s last blog ..Kaleidoscope Relationships List
March 26th, 2010 at 10:00 pm
Amazing program Sherri! I’ve never heard of this before. Though I can’t factually comment on the true state of our prison system, I see this as a fantastic opportunity for inmates to give back to society and feel a sense of purpose.
Keller Hawthorne´s last blog ..The Mystery of the Missing PageRank – Part One
March 26th, 2010 at 10:50 pm
Being aware of the beneficial effects animals have on the people who love them, I salute the type of effort alluded to in your post. It sounds like a win-win, including for the animals involved.
Beat Schindler´s last blog ..Personal Growth The Easy Way: Focus On Your Strengths
March 27th, 2010 at 1:51 am
I do think prisoners have to give something back to the society and this is a great cause. I would imagine in some cases it totally turns around the prisoners thinking on life…making them feel more worthwhile.
Great find and share.
Andrew
Andrew @ Blogging Guide´s last blog ..Want A Blog Income But Have No Time To Write? Then Cheat!
March 27th, 2010 at 2:31 am
Hi Sherri,
What a fabulous initiative. Your article and video should make a huge impact on building awareness… I hope many people see this.
Connecting with animals, discovering that they have feelings is such a civilising and human thing. Inmates and animals alike will benefot hugely from this.
Has a similar programme ever been implemented before with success?
Lance Nelson´s last blog ..How A Bolyarka Beer Saved Me From Blast Injury. A Trabant Fest In Velhiko Tarnovo
March 27th, 2010 at 6:10 am
This is a wonderful program! Good for inmates, this in itself probably a great way to up the odds of making a better person come out of the system than came in (for some it may be the first time that they have something to love and to feel useful) and a good use of the potential resources of the inmates for society. Love it!
Jan – queenofkaos´s last blog ..Ready for a Challenge? A Spring Cleaning Challenge that is…
March 27th, 2010 at 7:51 am
I was a medical provider in our prison system for a year and during that year also helped with some forensic investigation – very blah stuff, not what you see on TV. I am in favor of doing something to help those incarcerated. I am more in favor of preventing the events that lead to such problems. People are our greatest resource and we largely act like they are disposable. I heard this one also. I think giving people a chance to prove themselves is a good thing. Not criminalizing behavior is a better thing. In the US, incarceration services are big business and there is pressure to incarcerate more people. Companies that operate prisons for profit prey on small communities to build prisons for the US gov’t to incarcerate illegal immigrants. It is a huge mess and this is a small bright spot. Thanks for keeping it in the forefront of our attention.
Bruce´s last blog ..PREVENTION-What do you think it is?
March 27th, 2010 at 10:45 am
I think this is a wonderful program. Animals give unconditional love and by doing this it can teach people. The way I see it these inmates would feel a great sense of accomplishment.
Sometimes I think we can underestimate the healing power pets have on us.
Thank you for this eye opening post.
Debbie
Debbie@happymaker´s last blog ..You are Unique and This Makes for Happiness Within
March 27th, 2010 at 11:35 am
This is quite smart and this might give hope to a lot of inmates/prisoners.
Krizia
Eat Smart Age Smart ´s last blog ..Chef on demand
March 27th, 2010 at 12:25 pm
Anything that helps prisoners give back is worthwhile – sitting and rotting away doesn’t help society. I wish there were more programs. Thanks Sherri – you always give me something new to think about.
March 27th, 2010 at 10:55 pm
I like the idea of using dogs to help prisoners with empathy and thinking outside themselves. Plus the companionship is so rewarding.
Amy LeForge´s last blog ..FFYF: Forgetfulness Edition
March 28th, 2010 at 4:44 am
In the UK there is a charity called Fine Cell Work http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/specials/times_appeal/article6935276.ece that gets prisoners sewing to help them therapeutically. Its sad that projects like these are ad hoc and come from the voluntary/non profit sector rather than the prison system itself. When I worked in a prison as part of a healthcare team the lack of emphasis on rehabilitation was quite depressing.
The continued existence of the death penalty in any country is shameful, let alone a supposedly advanced country like the USA.
David Rogers´s last blog ..Happiness & Health, the Ultimate Guide
March 28th, 2010 at 3:00 pm
The image of an inmate – a man or a woman – opening themselves up to talk out loud to their dog moves me. There have been times in my life when I felt like no one would understand whatever it was I was going though. Or maybe it’s that no one would just LISTEN without advising or changing the subject. Dogs are so receptive when they”re treated with love They just look at us with love and wag their tails
Cheryl from thatgirlisfunny´s last blog ..Ferrari, Coke and Cigarettes – How to Stay Young and Party Like a Rock Star
March 28th, 2010 at 8:25 pm
Hi Sherri,
I’m touched as these dogs have always been the bestfriends of the society even if some do not even care to pet them. Initially, they’re not only there to sniff through corners to secure if the spaces are safe but also with the way they keep the inmates in company and giving them comfort and companionship, it will really make this powerful for the inmates’ transformation to be good citizens while becoming caring dog trainers as well. Dogs are good sources to appreciate life-image and freedom and thus, they should be cared by the way they care for people.
Tyrone
March 29th, 2010 at 11:27 pm
Animals can certainly change people’s behavior and mindsets, they’re excellent at reducing stress levels (though sometimes my cat increases my stress levels…), but sounds like a great system and thanks for mentioning it.
Joel´s last blog ..Fixing View Comments in Disqus Plugin
March 30th, 2010 at 3:59 pm
A great post!
It is clear to me that American prisons are a crime academy more than a system of rehabilitation… this is due in part to the ‘punishment’ mindset as opposed to the ‘teaching/healing’ mindset.
It’s not that surprising that by giving an inmate a chance to truly serve… you give them the chance to truly change.
I pray for this and more programs like it become the standard in America.
keep smiling,
Ben
Benjamin´s last blog ..A Course in Miracles: Awareness and Activism
March 30th, 2010 at 4:10 pm
Hi Keller,
This program is a win-win-win for the prisoners, dogs and wounded warriors they help. It’s why I try to catch “Fresh Air”. They have a lot I’m not aware of on the program. I learn so much from it. It expands the way I think and gives me a different way to perceive the world.
As for the state of the American prison system, it’s becoming profit-driven, and we keep twice as many people locked up than all other developed countries. We are also the last developed country to administer the death penalty. Meaningful prison reform is badly needed.
I plan to write on the U.S. prison system as soon as I have time to finish my research.
Sherri
March 30th, 2010 at 4:16 pm
Hi Beat,
It’s one the most successful rehabilitation programs I’ve ever heard of in the U.S. prison system.
One thing we need to work on very hard is to find the funding and people to build a comprehensive rehabilitation system instead of a punishment and school for more crime system. Want to make a minor criminal into a serious criminal? Put them in prison.
March 30th, 2010 at 4:21 pm
Hi Andrew,
It’s one of the most successful rehab programs I’ve ever heard of in the U.S. prison system. We as a society would greatly benefit from building a real rehabilitation system into our prison system. Then those who are released will be more educated and have the personal skills to return to society and feel good enough about themselves to stay away from going back into crime. Our recidivism rate is extremely high.
Sherri
March 30th, 2010 at 4:28 pm
Hi Lance,
I’m not aware of other programs like this one. This is one of the most successful programs in the entire U.S. prison system. We need a lot more of them. Unfortunately, we will need funding to get it done.
Funding prison programs right now isn’t seen as important compared to everything else. It always strikes me that so many people have short memories and short-term thinking that they don’t look at the long-term consequences of not dealing with problems that could be reduced if they were taken care of early.
Well, unless it comes to arguing about the national budget deficit and national debt–until they need the government to do something for them. I’ll be writing about that at some point.
Sherri
March 30th, 2010 at 4:41 pm
Hi Jan,
It’s a fantastic program. The inmates tell their dogs things they have never told any person, and the dogs just listen, don’t judge, and give them love and affection in return. Many inmates are transformed by that experience, that no matter how many bad things they’ve done or how horrible those things were, they still deserve to be loved.
The wounded warriors are extremely thankful for such well-trained and socialized service dogs. There are occasional meetings with the inmate trainers and the vets who received the service dogs. Because they have the common experiences of the dogs and being locked into some situation, whether locked up in prison or imprisoned in a permanently wounded body or mind, the vets have people who understand how they feel. The inmates develop human relationships after developing relationships with the dogs they train, and they feel very useful to people who really need their help. Many inmates have never felt needed and appreciated in their entire lives. Those who have witnessed these get-togethers report the only ones not crying in the room are the dogs.
Sherri
March 30th, 2010 at 5:06 pm
Hi Bruce,
I agree, the best situation would be to prevent the crime in the first place. I’m very concerned that 1/3 of our high school teens don’t graduate from high school. Many get their GED later, but not all of them. That’s the average. In some school districts the graduation rate is only 50%. Until we deal with this problem, I think crime will still be a viable profession for these misguided and undereducated kids.
People are not disposable. They are our greatest resource. I’d love to see the day when we don’t think in terms of us v them. We are all one people, and if one of us fails, all of us have failed.
One reason many don’t graduate is schools are set up for the convenience of teachers and administrators. They need to be set up for kids to learn the best way they learn. There are 3 major learning styles: auditory, visual and kinesthetic. I call them listening, seeing and doing. Schools are general centered around visual and auditory styles. Few schools teach older students kinesthetically. I teach, and I can see which kids are kinesthetic. They are the ones who did great in preschool, and k-2, then they begin to lose ground in 3rd grade and 4th grade is where they start rolling down a very big hill to drop out. Learning styles are divided among the population pretty evenly, 1/3 each. It doesn’t surprise me that 30% of students struggle after 3rd grade. It does surprise me that with all the child development and child psychology teachers are taught that they don’t use that information to make learning easier for kids who don’t learn the way they teach the rest of the class.
I’ll be writing more on education reform in, hopefully, the near future.
I think we don’t have a more functional prison system because of the profit incentive in our system. The last thing for-profit prisons want is to rehabilitate their prisoners and keep them from coming back or staying out of prison. Preventing crime is also something they would only tacitly support. They really want their prisons full all the time. The only way to do that is to keep a steady stream of criminals coming out of the school system. I’m not saying they’re directly related, but delinquent teens is where they get their supply of prisoners.
That said, prison programs that rehabilitate inmates is the next strategy in which we need to succeed. Programs like “Puppies behind bars” is one of the most successful programs I’ve ever heard of to help inmates in a real and very human way. Inmates get to give back and they get the unconditional love of their own dogs while they train them. Once in the program they remain in it so they have few days without a dog after the training is completed.
Sherri
March 30th, 2010 at 8:33 pm
Hi Debbie,
There are many pet programs in many settings. Many cities have the visiting pet program for nursing homes and hospitals. Patients respond to pet visits as well or better than visits from their own family and friends alone. It is well known that dogs help with physical and emotional healing.
Dogs as pets in prisons provides a better opportunity for healing because the inmate takes care of each of their dogs from 8-12 weeks of life for 18 months, until they’re ready to become service dogs. The dogs give their inmate trainers the one thing they may never have had in their lives ever, unconditional love. Many who won’t talk to other humans talk to their dogs and tell them all the horrible things they’ve done. The dogs don’t interrupt, they just listen, snuggle up to you and lick the tears off your face. They don’t care what you did in the past. They care that someone is there now who loves them and takes care of them now. When their puppies grow up and go to work, the inmate gets a new puppy to raise and train.
When I feel like I don’t have anyone to talk to, I snuggle up with my dogs and talk to them. They require attention and some work, but you get back so much more in return. They are far more than great company.
Sherri
March 30th, 2010 at 8:39 pm
Hi Michelle,
I hope awareness of this program will inspire others to create programs of many types to help inmates rehabilitate and are really prepared for society when they are released from prison. Some of the people who work in this program were inmates. They became involved with this program in prison and went to work for the program when they were released. It’s not just a rehab program that works, it helps provide job opportunities with animals after they’ve served their sentences.
Sherri
March 30th, 2010 at 8:44 pm
Hi Amy,
This program does a great deal of good for the dogs, inmates and wounded vets. It’s a win-win-win. We as a society need to do a lot more to find programs like that for all the problems we face.
Sherri
March 30th, 2010 at 9:33 pm
Hi David,
We need better programs for prisons. Anything that provides therapy is helpful. But there never seems to be enough money to rehabilitate inmates. We can afford to incarcerate them for years or life, or spend tons of money to execute them, but we can’t spare money to help them get out of prison and become productive citizens. It costs nearly twice as much to fully prosecute and carry out a death penalty case, and it has been shown not to deter crime at all.
The death penalty is shameful, and the U.S. is not so advanced compared to the rest of the developed world as we used to be.
Sherri
April 2nd, 2010 at 12:06 am
Looks like the video’s gone
April 6th, 2010 at 12:41 am
Raymond,
It’s not a video, it’s an audio. NPR is National Public Radio, and Fresh Air is a radio show. If you press play, you will get a radio broadcast (audio only).
I checked, and it is still playing.
Thanks,
Sherri