Corrections_Today_Winter_2024-2025_Vol.86_No.4

PROGRAMMING

relaxed in the shelter following training sessions). 7 Research shows integrating animals within established correctional programming can enhance their effective ness. 8 Interdependent relationships can develop between residents and animals increasing empathy, self-worth, confidence, interconnectedness, and mindfulness, while decreasing the rate of incurred disciplinary infractions, particularly violent infractions, among residents. 9 In teractions with dogs increases self-esteem and a sense of responsibility, while fostering teamwork and social skills; moreover, corrections-based animal programs cre ate a positive public image for corrections. 10 Dogs help to create a normalizing effect inside of the correctional in stitution, increasing one’s overall sese of well-being and facilitating better communication and stronger bonds be tween participants, and between participants and staff. 11, 12, 13 While the majority of state correctional systems offer prison animal programs, they are mostly service oriented absent a clinical component. 14 DTPs can involve dogs that are housed in the facility and trained by the residents, or they can be a program where the dogs are housed at a local animal shelter and are brought into the facility during the week for training sessions with the residents. While outcomes measures for these types of programs are positive, there is less information known about dog fostering programs (DFPs) in correctional institutions, where training is not the primary focus. The WCDOC Puppies on the Block is housed at the WCDOC, a county jail located approximately 20 miles north of New York City. The facility, with the capacity to house 1,821 residents, currently houses approximately 600 residents, 39 of which are female, and consists of a Jail Division (holding both men and women sentenced/ unsentenced), and a Penitentiary Division (holding unsentenced and sentenced males). This jail facility holds detainees, sentenced offenders (with sentences of a year or less) and federal detainees, with varying levels of security (i.e., unclassified, low, medium, high and maximum). WCDOC has approximately 877 staff, which includes 836 law enforcement staff (officers, sergeants, etc.). The WCDOC is accredited by the American Cor rectional Association (ACA) and was the first jail in New York State to receive PREA (Prison Rape Elimination

Act) accreditation. Its medical operations are accredited by the National Commission on Correctional Health Care and WCDOC follows the policies and guidelines mandated by New York’s State Commission of Correc tion (SCOC).

During their stay, the residents care for and socialize the puppies to increase their chances of adoptability.

Puppies On The Block Puppies on the Block (POB) is primarily a puppy fostering program. The program is overseen by Pace University and WCDOC program staff, while rescues are provided to the facility by Paws Crossed Animal Rescue in Elmsford, NY. While the program takes place in New York State, most of the rescues are transports from the states of Georgia and North Carolina. Texas, California, Florida, Georgia and North Carolina, re spectively, are responsible for approximately half of the country’s euthanasia of animals. 15 Just last year (2023), Paws Crossed Animal Rescue saved 889 dogs and 870 of those rescues resulted in permanent adoption. Puppies on the Block is now one of their fosters. The program is administered on two separate housing blocks. The first block consists of female residents in a drug treatment community known as Solutions, which is directed by St. John’s Riverside Hospital. Many of the residents have a co-occurring mental health diagnosis. The second block consists of young men, ages 18 to 24, who are incarcerat ed in the YOP (Young Opportunities Program). Puppies are brought to each of the two housing blocks to be fos tered by the residents and are housed in the facility for two to three weeks prior to being put up for adoption. Once adopted, many families agree to take a photo/video for the residents to see that the puppy was placed with a nice family, while the videos thank the residents for

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