Training for these service dogs starts in jail
Written by Donna Clementoni Sunday, February 03, 2013 01:00 am
In the confines of the Edna Mahan Correctional Facility for Women, located in Clifton, Passaic County, 11 Labrador puppies live with their inmate partners 24/7.
They are oblivious to the fact that their best friend has a criminal history. The lively puppies give their partners unconditional love and an avenue for redemption.
The prisoners that have volunteered to participate in the Puppies Behind Bars program are wards of the state, but they are now playing an important role in serving our country by teaching the new recruits the fundamentals of obedience. This training will likely lead them to become critical members of our national defense force.
“I’ve been here a long time,” admitted an incarcerated woman who maintained control of her puppy while speaking candidly about her past. “This gives me an opportunity to give something back.”
The program, embraced by the Edna Mahan Correctional Facility for Women, has provided the platform for 122 dogs to go through obedience training with 89 participating inmates. Most importantly, 79 of the graduates are currently “employed” by the police or military as explosives detection dogs.
After the inmates teach the dogs the basics, the FBI, CIA and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives provide their advanced training.
Michele, serving a lengthy sentence for manslaughter, recently joined the program and is “learning the ropes” from the senior volunteers.
“Participating in Puppies Behind Bars has changed me 360 degrees,” she said. “It gives me a purpose.”
For Robin, it gives her a glimpse of a potential career behind the confines of the prison she’s called home for more than five years. She has aspirations of running her own dog obedience business after her expected release in 2016. At the very least, “I plan on volunteering at shelters to train dogs to be more adoptable.”
Donna Clementoni, Egg Harbor Township resident and director of employer outreach for Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve (ESGR), visited the prison’s classroom with law enforcement officers and prison officials to publically acknowledge their important mission.
“I personally know military members whose lives were saved by the instincts of a well-trained military working dog, Clementoni said. “Their contribution is invaluable.”
Department of Corrections Commissioner Gary M. Lanigan added, “I can’t think of a better way of giving back to the community than protecting our soldiers overseas.”
Puppies Behind Bars Program and the Edna Mahan Correctional Facility for Women were acknowledged with a Department of Defense Seven Seals award citing their “exemplary service and support of our nation’s military.”
ESGR is a Department of Defense, mostly volunteer organization that seeks to create a culture where all American employers value and support the military service of their employees.
Recognizing supportive employers and programs is part of their mission. Whether inmate, a volunteer, a soldier, an employer or a puppy – they all serve, notes ESGR.
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