(BOP) – Inmates at the Federal Correctional Institution (FCI) in Florence, CO, are learning how to train service dogs to help people in need. Inmates train dogs in mobility service, medic alert, and hearing assistance as part of a partnership with an organization offering canine assistants to the elderly and disabled throughout the United States.
The program began a year ago with 12 inmates and five dogs, and has expanded to 15 inmates and 10 dogs. The inmates are responsible for providing care 24 hours a day for their assigned dogs, including feeding, socializing and training. Throughout the program, inmates teach commands while the dogs become acclimated to a regimented schedule.
Inmates who successfully complete the program receive a 4,000-hour apprenticeship certificate and have a portfolio of job skills they can use once they return to the community. According to FCI Florence Camp Administrator Juan A. Segovia, "The inmates are really passionate about the program and are doing a wonderful job and really don't look at it as a job but more of a calling."