AUSTRALIA-FIRST PRISON PROGRAM IN QUEENSLAND SEES DOGS TRAINED AS COMPANION ANIMALS BY FEMALE INMATES

Prison is not a place you expect to find joy, but for a group of female inmates at the Southern Queensland Correctional Centre the opportunity to work and live with puppies is bringing some much needed happiness, personal satisfaction and future job potential as they serve their sentences.

The inmates are undertaking the only Certificate III in Companion Animal Services in an Australian prison, as part of the Pups in Prison program run by Assistance Dogs Australia (ADA).

Program facilitator Peter Forbes said seven women would graduate next June after completing the nine-month certificate program.

“Once they are released, there are many opportunities for them for workplaces — not just in training dogs — [but] in pet stores, grooming, many different areas, providing light at the end of the tunnel for them,” Mr Forbes said.

The pups range in age from 14 weeks to 15 months and live and work with the inmates 24/7.

For prisoners like Rhiannon, it has been life-changing.

“It’s helped me a lot. I’ve reduced my medications and I’m a lot more happy … they give me more satisfaction just by knowing that they’re going out there to help someone who really needs it,” Rhiannon said.

“I’m eligible for parole next year so I’ve already looked at becoming a volunteer for ADA.

Pups in Prison

The Pups in Prison program at the SQCC has also trained Australia’s only two fully accredited court facility dogs to provide support for witnesses giving evidence, many of whom are children or victims of sexual assault.

Kiki, the second of the court facility dogs, is heading interstate later this month.

Both Kiki and her predecessor Suzie were trained by prisoner Jo, who admitted she would be heartbroken when her furry friend left, but training them made her feel like she was not a failure.

“I have a victim, they have families. I get that I haven’t been able to help them and I feel ashamed of what I’m up for,” Jo said.

“But now I’ve been able to get Kiki and my other one Suzie to go and help those victims and it’s just heart-warming.

Stella the dog enjoys ‘good life’ inside

The prison also has the only dedicated correctional facility dog in Australia.

Stella lives in the community, but goes to the jail every day, working with psychologists to support prisoners at risk.

“[Stella] helps them emotionally regulate and really helps people trust and open up and deal with some of their difficulties,” ADA Queensland client services manager Jane Kefford said.

Support for people with disabilities

The Pups in Prison program not only gives inmates opportunities, it also provides a much needed service for people with a disability in the community.

After 24 years with the fire and rescue service in Victoria, Bargara’s Dale Sumner suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and said his assistance dog Hali has made a huge difference in his life.

Sirens and choppers are triggers for his anxiety, but with Hali’s help, Mr Sumner can now go to dinner and even to the local shopping centre.

“Recently I was walking through a shop door and an ambulance hit its siren. I just froze,” Mr Sumner said.

“But Hali nudged my leg to get my attention, it distracted me enough that I could keep going.

“It was a big moment for me.”

‘Her eyes go deep into your soul’

Demand for the dogs is high.

“Currently our recipient list is closed,” Mr Forbes said.

“Which is really sad because there’s people out there who are wanting a dog and there’s people who have applied for a dog and we can’t fulfil that need at the moment.”

ADA hopes to expand the Pups in Prison program so it can open its recipient list again.

“The dogs that come out of the program deliver better outcomes, are better trained and we get more of them, so more we can deliver to people in need,” he said.