[MUSIC] As we consider the roles of animals in human health and well-being, prison animal programs offer a unique perspective. When you hear the term prison animal programs, you might think about the famous Birdman of Alcatraz, Robert Stroud. He did raise birds, first sparrows and then Canaries at Leavenworth federal prison. Animals weren't actually allowed at Alcatraz, where Stroud was later transferred. Although Stroud became an expert on bird diseases, and he wrote a highly regarded book on the subject, we're talking about something altogether different. Prisoners have always managed to keep animals of some sort in prison, but the first official prison animal program in the United States began in the 1980s. The term prison animal programs refers to a wide range of programs that are intended to benefit people and animals. For example, the most common programs pair inmates with dogs for training, either as adoptable pets, or using more specialized training as assistance dogs for the disabled, or to work in canine law enforcement. Some programs also train inmates to groom dogs and offer grooming services to the public, some offer boarding services. Prison animal programs also work with animal shelters to allow cats to live with an inmate for a while to benefit from attention and socialization. Fearful cats can learn to live with people, and orphan kittens can be bottle fed and cared for. The cats eventually return to the shelter to be adopted into their forever homes. Prison animal programs also include the wildhorse inmate program, in which horses captured in the western United States by the Bureau of Land Management are tamed. And made available for adoption as pleasure horses for therapeutic riding programs or for working government agencies, such as the US Border Patrol. A number of prisons in the United States jointly participate in a program run by the Thoroughbred Retirement Foundation. In fact, the program constitutes the largest horse sanctuary in the world. By rescuing thoroughbred race horses who can no longer compete on the track, the program saves horses from suffering, neglect or abuse, or even being sent to auction and slaughter. When they recover from the rigors of racing, they can be adopted as pleasure horses or pets. Some prisons host programs in wildlife rehabilitation. Inmates learn how to nurse foxes, raccoons, birds, and other animals back to health, so they can eventually be released back into the wild. Finally, prison animal programs also involve inmates in the raising of animals for food. Although many prisons have long raised the cows, pigs, and chickens consumed in the facilities themselves, some are now raising animals for sale in retail venues beyond the prison. Water Buffalo and goat dairies are among the more recent of such programs. The prisons sell the milk to producers of cheese, who would otherwise have trouble obtaining it in such volume. Prisons also have aquaculture programs, which raise lobster and tilapia for sale in retail stores and restaurants. Prison animal programs exist in most US states, as well as Canada, Australia, and New Zealand. The programs are part of a broader movement that has at its core the idea that prisons should rehabilitate inmates, not merely punish them. This is the main goal of prison animal programs. Moreover, the programs allow inmates to provide a service to the community. The hope is that by changing prisoner's lives, involvement in a dog training program will reduce what's known as recidivism, or the tendency to commit criminal acts again once released. Instead, former inmates can become productive citizens, this after all is the goal of rehabilitation. Prisoners who volunteered to participate in animal programs are carefully screened by prison staff and members of the partner organizations. Of course, those with histories of animal abuse are excluded. You might be surprised to learn that prison animal programs have their critics. Some people think prison should be about punishment, and working with dogs, horses, or other animals makes prison enjoyable. Some question whether former inmates can really get jobs using their skills after release. They point out that jobs in tilapia farming or goat dairies are few and far between. And prisoners who train dogs or horses for federal agencies can't usually be employed by the government or in law enforcement upon release. Critics of programs in which inmates raise animals used for food also object to using inmate labor for external markets. They claim that the low wages paid to prisoners, often around $1.50 an hour, allow prisons to undercut the prices charged by other producers. Another criticism is that some of the prisoners who might benefit most from involvement with animals are prohibited from participating in these programs, because of their criminal record or mental health histories. For example, in theory someone with a violent history might gain an increased sense of empathy by learning how to train a dog or a horse, under close supervision of course. An inmate who loves animals and has committed a nonviolent offense would likely enjoy working with a dog while in prison, but the benefits might be greater for an at risk prisoner. Yet another criticism is that because prison animal programs vary so widely in design, in purpose, and in the type of facility that implements them, it's become very hard to draw conclusions about their effectiveness. It's even hard to design research that would assess the effectiveness of prison animal programs overall. If one program measures success in terms of dog adoption rates, while another measures psychosocial improvement for prisoners, the two programs can't be compared. For many years, prisoners had produced products from license plates to furniture and beyond. In prison animal programs they interact with and are responsible for living beings. Research suggests that this changes prisoners, giving them confidence and self-respect along with skills and training.
