When you walk through the grey brick buildings and past the high fences of Queensland’s newest women’s prison, you might not expect to find a four-legged friend.
Key points:
- Under the Pups in Prison Program, inmates train dogs for assistance roles
- Women in the facility say they have gained confidence and self-respect through the program
- The program places dogs with people who suffer from PTSD or people with disabilities
But the Southern Queensland Correctional Centre is abounding with labradors training for a very important job.
Pups in Prison is a program that partners inmates with puppies that will eventually be rehomed as assistance dogs.
Mary*, who is training her sixth dog, Ellie, said the program had changed her life.
“There’s something magical about dogs,” Mary said.
“They just look at you, and you can have the darkest day in the world, and they give you a cuddle and, without even trying, they make you smile.”
Prisoners selected to take part in the program spend 24 hours a day with the animals, training them to work with autistic children, people living with disabilities or those who are struggling with post-traumatic stress disorder.
“I wake up, she’s there,” Mary said.
“If I go to education, she’s with me, and we train throughout the day.
“Wherever I am, she’s with me.”
But Mary said she was the one who had learnt the most through the program.
“It’s given me more self-respect,” she said.
“I’ve actually gained more knowledge and a Certificate III in animal companionship.
“I don’t know how to say it … I can now do anything if I put my mind to it.”
Dogs help rehabilitate handlers
Eight dogs graduated from the program during the week, and the prison’s own support dog, five-year-old Stella, has retired.
The canines will now be placed in homes around the country. They are in hot demand, as the number of people needing assistance dogs is growing.
Assistance Dogs Australia senior instructor Jane Kefford said it was a privilege to work with the prison.
“It’s actually a fantastic facility, and the handlers are very disciplined in what they do, very skilled in what they do,” she said.
“And for the handlers, it’s also a form of rehabilitation where they get the opportunity to work in a job that can give them a qualification when they go out into the community.”
The prison’s senior services coordinator, James Osborne, said he had seen the women grow in confidence since the program started four years ago.
“I’ve seen a number of women over the years build respect they didn’t have when they came into the jail,” he said.
“And it’s been fantastic to work with them and see them come out of their shell and give back to the community.”
Mr Osborne said it was good to celebrate the positive parts of the facility.
“We’re always looking at ways to celebrate achievements, and it’s a wonderful way to do that,” he said.
Rewarding, emotional program
For handlers, it’s a bittersweet moment sending their dogs off to families, but the stories that come back make it worthwhile.
“The journey is such an incredible one that involves so many people, and each person does get that attachment and emotion about watching the dog go through that process,” Ms Kefford said.
“Then, with the recipients, you get that moment of magic, where you see the changes, and they’ve been waiting so long for that.
“It’s such a reward to bring [those stories] back to the handlers and say, ‘You did it, guys. You took that dog through, and you have impacted, so incredibly, someone’s life.'”
For Mary, it is hard to explain the emotional impact of the program.
“It just makes me so proud that we’ve done this, and it makes someone’s life just a little bit easier,” she said.
*Mary’s name has been changed to protect her privacy in accordance with the Corrective Services Act for Queensland.