Coffeewood Canines

For most homeless dogs in Orange County, life in lock-up has little to offer. And for humans who are serving out sentences in prison, it's not much better. But a cadre of Orange County Animal Shelter's canine residents load up and head out to Coffeewood Correctional Center in Mitchells, where an innovative new program exists that creates new possibilities for unwanted animals and rehabilitated (human) inmates.
Orange County Animal Shelter Director Beth Hamilton said the pioneering "Coffeewood Canines" program began July 1 at Coffeewood. And only a month later, Hamilton said the six dogs who swap their quarters at the shelter for bars at Coffeewood and six weeks of one-on-one training have made remarkable progress-improving social compatibility with members of their own and other species which will ultimately help boost their adoptability out of the shelter and into a family setting.
Inmates must undergo training themselves or have prior experience in another animal program to become a dog trainer. The inmates are not at Coffeewood for violent offenses, Hamilton added, and prison officials choose program participants based on their good behavior while at the correctional facility.
Assistant warden Bobby Hickman said Coffeewood has hosted dog programs previously, but this is the first time the prison has joined forces with Orange County. He said other state correctional facilities operate similar programs. The history of dog/inmate training partnerships goes back to the early 1980s, when the first program of this kind was launched in a Washington state women's prison,
Hamilton said Coffeewood inmate handlers teach dogs basic commands like sit, stay, down and come. In some cases, conversely, training is tailored to help dogs overcome fears and anxieties. Thunderstorm-phobic animals, for example, undergo desensitizing techniques. Bashful dogs who cower when they encounter strangers learn how to remain composed and calm when they meet someone new. And all animals, Hamilton said, are taught "proper indoor etiquette." That's particularly important for a shelter resident whose previous life was spent on a chain in the yard. In order to assimilate into an adoptive family's household, Hamilton said dogs learn they're to stay off the furniture, no counter-surfing or self-serve at the dining table, and no appropriating human possessions for chew toys!
With basic skills mastered, Coffeewood Canines progress to more advanced training based on their innate talents and strengths. The animals who demonstrate a knack for agility continue on a course of study that emphasizes dogs' aptitudes. For some of the animals, the unique training they receive from Coffeewood inmates paves the way for important new careers. Hamilton said so far, six Coffeewood Canines graduates have scored gigs as detection dogs, partnering with law enforcement agencies and with the Department of Homeland Security.
"Aside from rendering adoptable often-overlooked dogs such as hounds, black Labs and mixed breeds, great benefit is derived by the human participants across the board," Hamilton explained. "With a track record of having qualified numerous successful detection dogs, these men are skilled canine behavior analysts, she added."
"In the short time the dogs have been here the building has taken on a more positive light, Coffeewood Counselor Charles E. Seal said. "Their presence has been good for both the inmates and staff."
According to Hamilton, Coffeewood's new canine companions provide comfort, assuage loneliness and facilitate laughter with their antics. They present challenges, but also tangible measures of pride for their handlers as obstacles are overcome. Compassion, creativity and persistence are values promoted and visibly rewarded.