Dogs As Therapy For Prisoners
What would you say if there was a program to help people and animals at the same time? Well, there is, it is a therapy path for inmates with animals that were about to be killed. Would you like to know more about it? Don’t miss today’s article!
It is a program implemented in various countries. Today we will explain who came up with the idea, where it was born, what it consists of and the benefits it brings to both prisoners and animals.
Affinity signs the agreement to use animals in therapy with prisoners
For years, this Spanish company has been promoting a unique initiative in the world. Although a similar initiative exists in the United States, there is no comparison.
The difference of the Affinity initiative is that the dogs live in the prison, so the prisoners remain in constant contact with them.
More than twenty centers in Spain adhere to the program and more than 40 animals used for this purpose. This is a program known as TEAAC (Companion Animal Assisted Education and Therapy) and differs from existing programs in the United States in a number of ways.
One is what we have already talked about: dogs live in detention centers. The second: in the United States prisoners are allowed to train dogs as part of a necessary rehabilitation, while in Spain it is different.
How TEAAC works, therapy for prisoners
The goal of TEAAC is the integration of prisoners into society: it is a vital activity for their reintegration. This is why shifts are created with groups of prisoners that are not too numerous, in order to give each of them personalized attention.
Each session is made up of professionals, inmates and dogs. The inmates are chosen following a psychological and social examination and are structured on a personalized plan that can cover their needs. They receive basic training to handle animals, so that they treat them properly.
The animals, mostly Labradors, have fixed working hours, so they never overwork. Like other dogs, they spend the rest of their time relaxing and playing.
The best thing is that the dogs chosen were for the most part animals destined for killing due to some “imperfections” or lack of free places in the adoption centers.
Affinity is responsible for covering the costs of the animals throughout their life.
What are the benefits?
Animals are known to help improve sense of responsibility, self-esteem and other negative behaviors. Therefore, these are used as “therapeutic tools” by the professionals of the center to improve situations of low self-esteem, interaction with others, communication problems, as well as to encourage a positive lifestyle, etc.
In summary, we could say that therapy with dogs brings benefits in three areas:
Emotional
It improves the self-esteem, the feelings, the thoughts of the prisoners, making sure that they are valued more and that their mood and health improve.
Penitentiary
Dog therapy helps improve inmates’ behavior with others in their condition, but also with the professionals who care for them. They learn to value life and to love their neighbor.
Personal
Relationships with others and family improve, they respond more positively to stress and anxiety is also reduced.
There is no doubt that dog therapy for prisoners has tremendous benefits for many people. Although not everyone can benefit from it and the list boils down to:
- People with mental illness
- Physically or mentally ill
- The youngest
- Women
- Prisoners in solitary confinement
- Prisoners nearing the end of their sentence.
The whole therapy runs every six months, so that the results are visible and to make sure that the therapy is successful. We hope that this new Affinity initiative will arrive in more penitentiary centers around the world.
