Female inmates at the Alachua County Jail will take care of stray dogs as part of a rehabilitation program beginning in February.
The Alachua County Sheriff’s Office announced Tuesday that Paws on Parole will start its program with female inmates for the first time beginning Feb. 4, said ASO spokesman Lt. Todd Kelly.
The program is a partnership between the Florida Department of Corrections’ Gainesville Correctional Institution Work Camp and Alachua County Animal Services that involves inmates taking care and training homeless dogs.
“The goal of the program is to increase the adoption rate of dogs in the shelter,” said Hilary Hynes, public education program coordinator for Alachua County Animal Services.
Inmates in the program will train dogs throughout an eight-week period. At the end, they will receive a Canine Good Citizen certificate from the American Kennel Club, she said. The program will start with two dogs and eventually expand to six.
She added that inmates will learn basic dog grooming and training techniques from volunteer professional trainers.
ASO Lt. Lee Hudson said inmates will receive a certificate for dog grooming and obedience training when they finish the program.
Upon release, they can use those marketable skills to find employment, he said.
ASO Sheriff Sadie Darnell said the program works well in prisons where inmates stay for a longer periods of time.
Now, the program will include low-risk inmates with minor crimes, she said.
“We’re trying to see if it will work within the constraints of the jail,” she said.
Hudson said he was worried that some of the inmates would be released before they complete the program.
“We want the inmates to be able to finish what they started,” he said. “Most importantly, we will have successful graduates and a lot of good will come out of this.”
