Nearly all Washington State prisons host programs training dogs or cats for service animal or general training adoption. Incarcerated handlers receive training and support from partners and provide excellent animal care and obedience training. These programs are based in living units and each is uniquely adapted to the needs and capabilities of residents and unit staff. The staff involved tell us that the programs reduce stress and increase well-being for everyone involved.
Pet Program Blog Posts
Cat Program at WSP Has Staff & Inmates Smiling, Cats Purring (2013)
Perspectives from an Inmate Service Dog Trainer at Cedar Creek Corrections Center (2012)