If the successes of Downton Abbey or Girls are any indication, I’m not the only person who loves following a continuing story.
But my new favorite is better than either of them. I’ve recently discovered a series of webisodes that bring drama, hope, conflict, joy and most of all, love to the small screen. Oh yeah, and dogs. Lots of dogs.
What could be better?
Introducing the Jail Dogs in 1C
Want to protect animals? Care about people.
That’s the theme I’m pondering in 2013.
And it’s expressed beautifully in Jail Dogs in 1C, webisodes produced by filmmaker and animal lover, Amy Jackson.
The Gwinnett County, Georgia’s sheriff wanted to start a program to benefit the prisoners in his care. He partnered with the local shelter to bring death row dogs into the detention center where they would be trained and prepared for adoption by the prisoners.
Similar programs have been available in prisons for years. But many prisoners will never have the chance to take what they’ve learned about dogs back into the world.
Many of the prisoners in jail, however, are serving short sentences. After serving their time, they will return to their families and be able to use what they learn in the program to rebuild their lives.
And what does the program do for the dogs? Besides saving their lives?
The dogs get regular attention and training. They learn how to fit into a home environment so they can be successfully adopted. But the program also benefits dogs not in the program. It’s also
- pit bull friendly – giving lovable dogs with a bad reputation a chance to make new friends.
- based in positive reinforcement, with zero tolerance for any prisoner in the program doing anything not good for the dog.
- a beacon of hope in a part of the country where massive evacuations to other states are often seen as the best chance of getting death row dogs adopted.
Are you ready for some hope?
I’m unable to embed webisode #1 but you can watch it on You Tube where you’ll learn how the program began and meet the “cast of characters.” Go watch it. I guarantee you won’t be sorry.
Are you feeling good? I thought so.
Come back each Friday to see another webisode of Jail Dogs in 1C. And see what happens to Reed, Kyle, and the other inmates as well as the dogs in their care.
And share some love with filmmaker Amy Jackson of Karmalized Pictures. Thank you, Amy, for giving me permission to share your videos on Something Wagging This Way Comes.
What do you think about dogs rehabilitating prisoners? And prisoners rehabilitating dogs?
I think it’s a great idea and I’d like to see programs like this extended into our schools. We can really make a difference if we teach people how animals should be treated and what better place to start than early education?
Before Honey was born, I thought about developing a program with her where we could go into schools or children’s birthday parties. Honey would do some fun tricks and we’d spend time talking about pet care with the kids.
Honey would probably be great at it. I probably wouldn’t be.
How about you and Sampson?
Sampson would love it, he’s just too enthusiastic. He has a habit of slapping with is paw to get more pets, I am working with him on it, but he’s not ready for public yet.
Right after the blizzard I took him over to meet our elderly neighbor with MS. She sat on the floor so he could greet her, but after a couple of minutes the paw came out and swatted her on the chest. I was mortified.
I am supposed to meet with my state rep to see if we can get some animal welfare laws placed and some kind of programs in the school whereby rescues would bring dogs in to meet the children and they would talk about the proper treatment of animals. I do think we can make a change if we can educate.
Thank you for sharing this Pamela! Wonderful videos! I was in need of some goodness today 🙂
I’ve loved watching them too. It is nice to get good news, isn’t it?
There is a brand new program in Halifax actually that is currently still in pilot mode but it pairs dogs from the Nova Scotia SPCA with offenders at a maximum security prison in Dartmouth. Most people seem to be for it but the government has received some pushback for spending money to help inmates. People get all riled up about criminals receiving any sort of benefit and seem to believe jail is some sort of plush-covered fantasy land. Media outlets phrased it all wrong too, saying it was a “pet for prisoners” program which is not at all what it’s about.
Sorry to rant, it’s just been ticking me off lately.
I will make sure to check these out tonight as I am sure many people I know would be very interested in watching them as well. I am so glad you shared them. It’s awesome a filmmaker was able to showcase the very positive work these programs do.
Sorry to hear some Canadians are as pissy about tax money being used for the public good as Americans are.
If you watch the intro websode I linked to, you’ll hear the Sheriff talk about how the program uses no tax payer money. The alterations they made to the jail were paid for out of money raised from the prisoner store which had to be used for the benefit of the prisoners.
And the dogs that are adopted instead of being killed are saving the county money. Keeping and killing dogs in a shelter is much more expensive than getting them adopted out (where their families pay sales tax on pet supplies, pay licensing fees, and pay vet bills to benefit the economy).
As for cushy prisons, you’ve just hit one of my hot buttons. But I’ll save that rant for my next blog. 🙂
Thanks for sharing these Pamela – I love seeing programs like this. Maybe it will also help people see that there are many people in prison that have just made some bad decisions, but deserve some rehabilitation. It’s one of my hot buttons too. I have a brother that has been in and out of prison and I’m frustrated by the horrible overcrowding in prisons and the fact that he doesn’t have many options when he is released. It’s a broken system.
I look forward to seeing more of these videos!
American prisons are horrible and getting worse as they become increasingly privatized. I’m thrilled to see people fighting to improve things even when they have lots going against them.
The webisodes really got me pulling for the inmates in the program. I’d love to know how they do once they leave jail.
Thank you for sharing these webisodes because we never even heard of them. We’ve seen shows on tv about similar programs and it always makes us a bit teary-eyed because everyone involved (dogs and inmates) are receiving rehabilitation through the bonded relationship with one another.
Have a wonderful weekend.
Oz (and Gina)
I hope you enjoy all the episodes. I’ll be posting a new one each week.
I think we all benefit when everyone is treated with respect, whether we’re talking about dogs or people.
YESH – and I have yet to watch the video. We, Safe Harbor Animal Sanctuary which includes Silverwalk Hounds, have a contract going on 3 years now, with our local maximum security prison. We have seen the good these programs do for not only the dogs but the prisoners as well; some who had no hope, now do; the general sense of well-being spreads to the entire prison. In fact, after working with a blind and deaf Australian Shepherd whose adoption fell apart (an entire post in itself), the warden and inmates petitioned and made Winston their mascot. I indeed will look forward to Fridays (and, of course, all your posts, Pamela!) especially since our dogs and men have a win-win situation similar to this one.
And yes, if there is a special need for a dog, who pitches in to pay for it? the inmates….now that is saying something.
It’s great that Safe Harbor has this program with your local prison.
I’d love to hear more about the blind and deaf mascot. I can’t imagine a better place for a special needs dog since the routine is consistent and a dog never has to worry about furniture being moved around.
What an awesome arrangement! Dogs are great for rehabilitation and dogs deserve rehabilitation too!!!
My buddy, Walker, was a prison dog. He was bred by Southeastern Guide Dogs in Florida and raised at a women’s prison facility in Texas. He says it was a great place to grow up! Those women treated him and his brothers like royalty. And he heard a lot of conversation about what a positive impact it was on the women involved. In fact, the program was called IMPACT.
We just watched the 1st video on you tube. Wow! Made Walker miss his ladies and made the Mom Person cry! A terrific program doing some terrific stuff. Thanks for sharing this!
That sounds like a really neat program, both for the death row dogs and for the prisoners!
Greetings. You can become a fan on facebook of the Jail Dogs In 1C at https://www.facebook.com/pages/Jail-Dogs-In-1C/139342539431656
To learn more about the Jail Dogs program please visit their website at http://www.JailDogs.org
Peace,
Amy J.
I think it’s a GREAT idea!! I remember watching an episode of Dog Whisperer where Cesar worked with some gals in a women’s prison somewhere, basically teaching them how to work with the dogs that had already been assigned to them. The best part was seeing all those gals gaining some self-respect and compassion for others to the point where Cesar could lead them all in a long pack walk on the prison property. It brought tears to my eyes. I’ll have to watch these webisodes later, as it is now time to put away the Kindle and do some things around the house.
I’m definitely ready for some hope! Thank you for sharing! Looking forward to seeing more.