Perceived effects of dog-training programmes in correctional settings
| Pages | 171-183 |
| Date | 05 August 2014 |
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.1108/JFP-08-2013-0041 |
| Published date | 05 August 2014 |
| Author | Barbara J. Cooke,David P. Farrington |
| Subject Matter | Health & social care,Criminology & forensic psychology,Forensic practice |
Invited paper
Perceived effects of dog-training
programmes in correctional settings
Barbara J. Cooke and David P. Farrington
Barbara J. Cooke is an
Assistant Professor of Criminal
Justice at Texas A&M
University – Kingsville and
David P.Farrington is an
Emeritus Professor of
Psychological Criminology,
both are based at Institute of
Criminology, University of
Cambridge, Cambridge, UK.
Abstract
Purpose – Offender-led dog-training programmes(DTPs) are increasingly used throughoutUS correctional
facilities. The rather sparse literature on these programmes is outlined in this manuscript, including the
reported benefits of participation. The purpose of this paper is to examine the opinions of programme
coordinators and staff from 13 programmes.
Design/methodology/approach – The perceived effects were measured using an open-ended
questionnaire, with attention paid to those benefits reported in the extant literature.
Findings – Respondents noted improvements in several factors including impulsivity, self-efficacy,
empathy, social skills, emotional intelligence, and employability.
Practical implications – It is argued that DTPs should be implemented in other countries including the UK,
and that well-designed, larger scale evaluations are needed.
Originality/value – Though potentially limited by sample size and self-selection biases, these findings
expand on the existing literature by supporting existing reports as well as expanding the breadth of the DTPs
that have been studied.
Keywords Offenders, Intervention, Dog-training programme, Programme evaluation, Desistance,
Risk and protective factors
Paper type Research paper
Introduction
Over the last 30 years in the USA, an innovative and promising type of intervention programme
has grown increasingly popular. Offender-led dog-training programmes (DTPs) use offenders
(or at-risk youths) to train dogs to work as service animals or to improve the dogs’ chances of
being adopted. In 1981, Sister Pauline Quinn and Dr Leo Bustad, a pioneer of human-animal
interaction research, founded the first prison-based DTP at the Washington Corrections Center
for Women. Subsequently,prison-based DTPs have been established in all 50 states in the USA
and several countries (e.g. Canada, Italy, and Australia).
DTPs differ in implementation practice on a programme-by-programme basis. DTPs source
their dogs from various venues; some programmes (e.g. Puppies Behind Bars) use specially
bred golden retriever puppies while others (e.g. Safe Harbor Prison Dogs) use “death rowdogs”
who are scheduled to be destroyed at an animal shelter. DTPs also vary by participant
admittance criteria; interviews, psychological tests, criminal history, history with animals, length
of sentence remaining, and behaviour records while incarcerated may all be used to screen
programme participants. Participation in DTPs is not always limited to the most well-behaved
and least risky offenders; for example, a DTP in Susanville, California uses offenders with
behaviour problems in an effort to encourage prosocial behaviour and Project Second Chance
in New Mexico sometimes uses juveniles who have histories of animal abuse or dog-fighting
(Lai, 1998). These variations can be an obstacle in evaluating these programmes, but it is
possibly the flexibility of DTPs that make them so popular.
DOI 10.1108/JFP-08-2013-0041 VOL. 16 NO. 3 2014, pp. 171-183, CEmerald Group Publishing Limited, ISSN 2050-8794
j
JOURNAL OF FORENSIC PRACTICE
j
PAGE 171
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