Friday, March 23, 2007
Staff photo by Gordon Chibroski
Timothy Duncan takes Archie, a shepherd mix, for a walk in the yard before returning to their cell at the Windham Correctional Center. The Animal Refuge League of Greater Portland is working with the prison and providing dogs for rehabilitation in a program called Paws in Stripes.
Staff photo by Gordon Chibroski
Arthur Dubois gets an unexpected visit from Carmen, right, a fellow inmate's beagle, as he settles back into his cell with his older beagle, Dragon, after a walk in the prison yard with the dog.
Staff photo by Gordon Chibroski
Susan Britt of the Animal Refuge League of Greater Portland, head of the Paws in Stripes program, gives her dogs a welcoming hug during a visit to the prison in Windham.
WINDHAM - Carmen was never happier than when she went to the Maine Correctional Center a month ago.
She found a warm bed there, regular meals and lots of love and attention. The prison proved a much better home than the one she had in Limington, where she and 18 other beagles lived neglected and starved.
She and the other beagles were rescued from squalor on Feb. 4. Some were placed with a New England beagle rescue group, and seven were taken in by the Animal Refuge League of Greater Portland.
Three of those beagles, including Carmen, entered the Paws in Stripes program, which places puppies and kittens with inmates. Now Carmen's tail rarely stops wagging.
"It's getting me through my time," said her cellmate and primary caregiver, Christopher Webber, who is in the prison after revocation of his probation. "It gives me a companion. It just feels pretty good having a dog."
The partnership is working at prisons all over the country, where programs range from simple foster care of young animals to inmates training dogs for disabled people.
Susan Britt, director of the animal shelter, knew there would be tricky details to work out before starting the program in October, but she said the idea was too good to let go.
"It's a structured life here, and dogs do well with structure," she said. "This is the best they've ever known it. They don't know this is prison. This is their home. They're just getting incredible time and attention. No one's leaving for work eight hours a day."
Her biggest concern before committing to the program was the animals' safety. "I wanted to make sure nothing would be done to an animal out of frustration or impatience or malice," Britt said. "That's anything from raising their voice to pulling their tails."
Enter Penny Bailey, who oversees security and programs for medium-security prisoners.
The inmates and the animals live in Bailey's unit. She eased Britt's worst fears by setting strict guidelines.
The only inmates who may participate in the program are those who earn it by following the rules, remaining discipline-free, exhibiting a positive attitude and being involved in other correctional programs.
Put the two together and it equals what inmate Timothy Duncan said is a program without a single negative aspect.
Duncan has been matched with two dogs. The most recent was Archie, a shepherd mix that is full of energy.
Duncan taught Archie to sit and house-trained him. Inmates in the program have access to the jail courtyard during the day for puppy potty breaks.
It was clear during a visit this week how much each has given the other. Archie's tail never stopped wagging when Duncan was near. Duncan seemed relaxed and cheerful as he talked about the puppy.
"It takes the jail out of jail," said Duncan, who is serving a seven-year sentence for burglary.
That is why this and similar programs are applauded around the nation. The puppies and kittens win because they get constant, one-on-one attention, which in turn makes them more sociable and adoptable.
The inmates, meanwhile, get a friend.
"It gives them a living entity to interact with that cares for them. Perhaps they haven't had that in their lives," said David Frie, director of communications for Delta Society, a national group that supports the therapeutic use of animals. "We know instinctively that when you interact with a dog or cat, you feel better. It changes the energy in the room."
Usually, there are four puppies or eight kittens at the prison, assigned to four primary handlers. Four other inmates are chosen as assistants to take over when the primary caregiver is away from the cell block. Britt said puppies were chosen over dogs because they need socialization and house training, not behavioral adjustment.
The Limington beagles, which are all grown dogs, are an exception to the puppy rule.
Kittens were selected over cats because, as any cat lover knows, cats are prone to wandering. Bailey said the inmates have a clear understanding that "it is not their pet. They are providing a community service to the Animal Refuge League."
Most animals stay a little more than a month, until the shelter has space or, even better, a permanent home.
Carmen was scheduled to begin living with her adoptive family today. Including Carmen, five of the seven beagles taken in by the Animal Refuge League have found permanent homes.
The remaining two dogs, Sid and Dragon, remain at the prison.
Webber knew that saying goodbye to his first Paws in Stripes dog would be hard. Despite his best efforts, he became attached to Carmen.
He finds comfort, however, in knowing that the little beagle, which would not even wag her tail on the day they met, now knows what it is like to be loved. So does Webber.
"She takes care of me more than I take care of her," he said.
Staff Writer Giselle Goodman can be contacted at 791-6382 or at:
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I'm wondering if there are any programs like this for offenders who are too young for prison. It might make a bigger difference in thier lives.
Michellereport abuse
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