Puppies Behind Bars

At first glance this non-profit sounds like an animal rescue but it is actually a life line for people. Through the animal connection, Puppies Behind Bars is changing the lives of inmates at seven federal correctional facilities by entrusting convicts with the specialized care and training of working dogs.

Puppies Behind Bars raises guide dogs for the blind and now trains explosive detection canines. The organization is nearing its ten year anniversary and its success has been remarkable. The program started in 1997 at the Bedford Hills Correctional Facility, New York State's only maximum-security prison for women. Since then it has expanded to include Fishkill Correctional Facility, Mid-Orange Correctional Facility, Edna Mahan Correctional, Facility Federal Correctional Institute at Danbury, Wallkill Correctional Facility and Otisville Correctional Facility. Currently, over 80 puppies are being raised within the walls of these facilities and 82 PBB graduates are working as either guide dogs or explosive detection canines.

Across the world, organizations put forth extraordinary amounts of time, effort and money to train specialized dogs. The same is true of Puppies Behind Bars. Once an inmate qualifies to serve as a puppy raiser they are required to sign a contract with PBB. Some of their new responsibilities include attending weekly puppy class, completing reading assignments, homework and passing regular exams. The puppies also live with the inmates in their cells making their job a 24-hour a day responsibility.

The puppies become part of the inmate's life and the needs of the dogs shape daily activities that include exercise and grooming. Inmates that are chosen as puppy trainers qualify only if they are active in at least one prison facility program. For inmates who are employed in the prison, puppies accompany them to their jobs in the library, Laundromat or barber shop. Inmates who attend school bring their puppies to class. In these activities, puppies become socialized and they become part of the prison community. During down time, prisoners spend time reading or watching TV with the company of the puppies they are raising.

The program's success is not only evident in the contribution of its canine graduates but also in the transformative process of being responsible for another living creature. The inmates who qualify to be puppy raisers are committed to their task and through participation in Puppies Behind Bars they regain a part of their humanity that was lost upon incarceration. Although they remain incarcerated, the inmates are given a second chance to contribute to society. The trust placed in them to care for their puppy raises self-esteem, instills patience and creates a new sense of connection to the world at large.

In the prison community, the puppies' presence has an affect greater than just the relationship with the puppy raiser. The dogs are used to help soothe young, teenage inmates, domestic abuse victims and inmates about to meet with parole boards. The contact and connection to the dogs helps calm inmates and often breaks down defensive walls.

The program has critics whose concern is for the well-being of the puppies and it was initially thought to be risky to place a vulnerable life in the hands of a convicted criminal. Over the past ten years, critics have been proved wrong. The puppy raisers have been devoted caretakers even though they know from the beginning that their time with the dog they love and train will end. When the animals are ready for further training the inmates say goodbye knowing that they have made a difference. Some inmates serving long sentences become repeat puppy raisers over the course of their incarceration. One such inmate, Roslyn D Smith is serving two consecutive 50-year-to-life terms. She has so far raised three puppies successfully and says of the program "the puppies are so alive and trusting and hopeful, you can't help but become a better person for them, and for yourself."

Many times owners of placed dogs, whether guide dogs or explosive detection, return to thank the inmate responsible for the animal's initial care. It is in these moments that barriers break down, societal labels disappear and puppy raisers can witness first hand how their efforts contribute to society. As the puppy raiser's work continues past the prison doors, so does the program's influence. Many puppy raisers who are released from prison and successfully readjust to life on the outside contribute the acquisition of patience, hope and a strong work ethic to their participation in Puppies Behind Bars.

In addition to puppy raisers, Puppies Behind Bars depends on volunteers to help socialize the dogs beyond prison walls and become accustomed to sights and sounds not found in prison, like children. Puppy sitters as they are titled take the dogs either one weekend or two days per month for field trips to restaurants or busy streets. The puppy sitters are important to the overall success of the dog's initial training. The organization also depends on donor contributions. Both are an excellent way to support this extraordinary, life-changing program.