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The Impact of Animal Training Programs in Prison
Sydney Case
Capella University
PSY5002: Foundations of Theory and Practices for Master’s Psychology Learners
Literature Review
February, 2022
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Abstract
Prisons across the United States and elsewhere have established projects that pair prisoners or
inmates with animals (dogs, cats, and sometimes horses). The advantages to the inmates and
their well-being, which aim to transform individuals and bring about change have shown major
improvements to the inmates involved. Considering the whole person who comes with human
needs, emotions, and attitudes. reports indicate the animal training programs are overwhelmingly
positive and the programs are becoming increasingly common in correctional facilities. Overall
the long-term effects of this kind of programming indicate for inmates, correctional employees
and the recipients of the animals trained these programs are immensely positive.
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The Impact of Animal Training While Incarcerated
At the point when inmates or prisoners in the United States are released, they face many
challenges that hinder them from becoming productive members of society. Inside three years of
release, 67.8 percent of ex-offenders are rearrested, and inside five years, 76.6 percent are
rearrested. In 1981, Sister Pauline Quinn previously coupled canines and detainees when she
established the essential jail canine preparation program in Washington state. Sister Quinn
endured maltreatment as a child which prompted her to search for help in her adult life. Along
this journey, she found a stray dog Joni, a German shepherd, who gave her adoration and a
recently discovered confidence in herself. Her program, Pathways to Hope, focuses to assist
prisoners with giving essential training to guide and service dogs. “My hope is the inmates learn
to become other-centered. They need to use the pain in their lives to focus on helping others.
That will give meaning to the inmates’ own pain and suffering”, Steiner, Hallie (2019).
Recidivism is measured by acts or crimes that result in the re-arrest, reconviction, or
return to prison of a person during a three-year time frame following the individual's release
from an institution. This term is synonymous with “relapse”. There are many different types of
programs to assist inmates in rehabilitation or to prepare them to reenter society. The Dogtraining program (DTPs), is one of the most widely known. The first successful prison-based
animal program in the United States unintentionally began in 1975 at the Lima State Hospital in
Ohio, when an inmate adopted an injured bird, Strimple, (2003). An animal Therapy Program
was allowed due to changes in the behaviors of the inmates noticed by the Correctional staff.
They noticed elevated sympathy, the capacity to appreciate people on a deeper level,
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correspondence, persistence, discretion, and trust. These positive feelings and the confidence that
goes with them help them have a better life after incarceration.
My literature review section consists of a study done by Dana M. Britton and Andrea
Button. They interviewed inmates at a correctional facility in Kansas to examine the personal
effects their involvement in a prison animal training program had on them. My second article, by
Jacqueline van Wormer, Alex Kigerl, and Zachary Hamilton, focuses on the program’s
disciplinary effects on its inmates. Lastly, my third article by Lommel Sweder, E., Abel, R. A.
D., & Stromsland, R., centers on women at the Women’s Eastern Reception, Diagnostic and
Correctional Center. These women entered into the program and afterward displayed fewer
behaviors, increased social support, improved mental health, and improved self-esteem.
In the 1970s prisons focused on rehabilitation as a key part of the prison policies. Inmates
were encouraged to improve their social and mental skills to help them hopefully become
productive citizens upon release. However, within recent years, rehabilitation has been placed on
the back burner to a "get tough on crime" approach, and now prisons see punishment as the
primary focus. Preparing inmates to train animals, namely dogs, builds the offender's skills and
accountability. Doing this will help them with reintegrating into society after their release.
Laying out the best strategy for restoring inmates will in turn enhance the overall function of the
facility. The idea is to improve their behaviors and mindset and reduce the recidivism rate.
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Evaluation of Sources
In my quest for research similar to my topic, I noticed a common theme, very few
focused on the effects that prison animal training programs have on a post-incarceration life and
the recidivism rate. In the articles, I did however, notice the effects the programs have on the
inmates while they are still incarcerated. The programs produced positive results which in turn
gives a significant likelihood that these impacts go on into their lives after they are released into
society..
Britton, Dana M., and Andrea Button, (2006). This is a peer-reviewed article that focuses on the
effects of animal training programs in prison. It discusses the aspects of recidivism rates
but not in great detail. The text said that evidence is all anecdotal and” literally no
systematic evidence exists at all”, as of 2005 when the study took place. the paper centers
on pulmonary information collected in two prisons in Kansas (a woman's and a men's
Institution) in which inmates trained dogs. However, the focus of the article was on
interviews from the men's facility. It discusses the findings from interviews conducted
that lead to motivation to be in the program, challenges the inmates faced, and the
benefits from being in the program. The program clearly created some problems for all
involved - inmates, staff, and administrators. However, at least from a qualitative sense,
the inmates indicated that dogs can transform lives both within and outside of the prison
walls. The text also stated that in the future the focus would be on different genders at a
later time.
van Wormer, Jacqueline, Alex Kigerl, and Zachary Hamilton, (2017). This peer-reviewed article
focuses on the different levels of infractions and the programs effects, which differs from
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the first article. My first article identified one of their shortcomings as excluding
disciplinary infractions, and "Digging Deeper" fills those holes by zeroing in on the
projects impact on various degrees of violations they might complete. The inmates were
assessed pre-programmed behavior and post-program behavior and then used those
results to compare those who did and those who did not participate in the program. This
research was not centered around the inmates participation but instead, try to address
whether or not the program established a more secure climate in the prison through more
grounded inmate responsibilities to their dog and the prison as a whole. The program
leads to a healthier and safer prison environment where their program is offered. Further
research ought to incorporate focusing on the proportions of Psychosocial changes
through review and evaluation end participants and following treatment and control
groups once they are released to measure potential recidivism.
Lommel Sweder, E., Abel, R. A. D., & Stromsland, R. (2021). This peer-reviewed article states
the effects of participation in a prison-based dog training program on incarcerated
women. The article States prison-based Rehabilitation can neutralize some adverse
effects of incarceration, and one example is prison-based dog training programs (DTPs).
Prisons Show members in DTPs display less aggressive behavior, increase social support,
improve Mental Health, and implement self-esteem concepts. These might equate to
lower recidivism rates. The participants were women at, the Women's Eastern Reception,
Diagnostic, and Correctional Center and were selected based on interest and behavior
records. The participants were divided into three groups, trainers, assistance, and control.
Trainers participated in the DTPs, Assistants had some informal dog contact, and
Controls had minimal dog contact. Data shows a significant increase of empathy for
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trainers end control showed a significant decrease in the belief in corporal punishment.
How are the effects of control and added responsibilities on the trainer need to be further
explored? DPTs in other institutions are ultimately the long-term impact of the study.
Incarcerated persons will be readier for societal re-emergence through their ability and
improve skills acquired by taking an interest in the occupation of dog training.
Albeit the research of the above articles proficiently covers the impact of the prison
animal program on the institutions from an individual perspective, they have missed the mark on
how these studies influence or impact post-prison life or recidivism
Impact on Population
In researching to see how animals affect prisoners, it is essential to consider how it makes
the individual feel. The central theme was the impact the program had on the population. Articles
revealed the behavioral changes, overall attitude, and the general emotion of most individuals.
Research shows animals being used for therapeutic services dating back to 1919 during World
War II, Strimple, (2003). After reviewing multiple articles, many of the prisoners described
working with the dogs to be therapeutic. Individuals reported a significant decrease in stress, an
increase in a positive attitude, and a feeling of importance.
Lack of Results Post Release
The ideal goal of doing research is to see if dog training promotes motivation for a better
life and see how the inmate did after being released. One major theme that I noticed in all the
articles is there was no update as to how the inmate was doing after training and being released.
Did the individual return back to prison? Were they successful back in society? Did job training
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affect them at all? These are all critical questions to see if training will be good motivation for
this kind of behavior therapy. The articles focused on how it made the individuals feel, which is
essential but doesn’t open the door for further research. Post-release updates are needed because
it allows researchers to see if they have had any effect on the individual.
Prison Morale
In the US, some prisons require individuals to obtain a job; individuals are usually paid a
significantly low rate however, these jobs do benefit the correctional facility. Contrary to popular
belief, Prisoners are responsible for the training police dogs receive. Points of how DTP the
correctional facility were a recurring theme in the literature. This is important because it
discloses that having these systems put in place can simultaneously decrease recidivism, and
serve as an advantage to law enforcement. “Emerging evidence shows that participants in DTPs
displayed improved mental health, less aggressive behaviors, improved self-concept, and
increased social support. These may correlate to lower recidivism”, Cooke, B. J., & Farrington,
D. P. (2016). K-9 Police dogs are essential to law enforcement because they aid in locating
illegal items hindering the escape of a criminal. Primarily the dog needs to know alert signals,
remaining on track with a scent, properly hold a suspect, and a plethora of other duties. This is
not an easy or quick process. Dogs require consistency, and officials note dogs often learn more
from prisoners versus foster homes due to the repetition and routine prisoners can provide,
Rosenwald, Michael S. (2013).
Application and Research Vision
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The research above shows that a trend in dog training impacts on inmates’ overall attitude and
behavior, whilst assisting law enforcement. However, there is no research or results on how its
affects inmates post released; this shows that more research needs to be done on the matter.
Gathering this research would help professionals accomplish a better treatment plan for inmates
to promote good behavior before being released and help individuals obtain those techniques to
reduce the chances of recidivism.
Conclusion
While punishment is needed for individuals breaking the law, only using punishment
does not help them reintegrate into society. Prison animal training programs showing prisoners a
useful life away from crime, serves to remind them that their community cares. The intent of the
animal-training programs clearly suggest that this type of education aims to transform
individuals and bring about change. We need to consider the whole person who comes with
human needs, emotions, and attitudes. Incarcerated individuals will be better prepared for
community re-entry through improved skills and wellness gained by participating in the
occupation of dog training. However, more research is needed to know if this type of educational
animal-training program will decrease the recidivism rate of the individuals. Does animal
training in the penial system yield a positive correlation between participation in prison animal
training programs and non-recidivism? These outcomes can be distributed to correctional
facilities all around to show why they ought to consider adopting their very own animal training
programs.
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References
Britton, Dana M., and Andrea Button. "Prison Pups: Assessing the Effects of Dog Training
Programs in Correctional Facilities." Journal of Family Social Work, vol. 9, no. 4, 2006;
2005, pp. 79-95.
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Cooke, B. J., & Farrington, D. P. (2016). The effectiveness of dog-training programs in prison: A
systematic review and meta-analysis of the literature. The Prison Journal, 96(6), 854–
876. https://doi.org/10.1177/0032885516671919
Lommel Sweder, E., Abel, R. A. D., & Stromsland, R. (2021). Effects of Participation in a
Prison-Based Dog Training Program on Incarcerated Women...American Occupational
Therapy Association (AOTA) INSPIRE 2021 (Virtual), April 6-30, 2021. American
Journal of Occupational Therapy, 75(Sup2), 1. https://doi.org/10.5014/ajot.2021.75S2RP358
Rosenwald, Michael https://www.proquest.com/saveasdownloadprogress.getfileform
Steiner, Hallie. “This Nun Found a Way to Save Prisoners' Lives - All by Spelling 'God'
Backwards.” NationSwell, 21 Mar. 2019, https://nationswell.com/news/puppies-prisontraining-program-nun/.
Strimple, Earl O. "A History of Prison Inmate-Animal Interaction Programs." American
Behavioral Scientist, vol. 47, no. 1, 2003, pp. 70-78.
van Wormer, Jacqueline, Alex Kigerl, and Zachary Hamilton. "Digging Deeper: Exploring the
Value of Prison-Based Dog Handler Programs." The Prison Journal, vol. 97, no. 4, 2017,
pp. 520-538.