Ohio Prisons Go Gladly to the Dogs

"This is not to make [the dog] feel stupid or inadequate but to make him feel successful," she said at a recent Wednesday afternoon training session. Some dogs trained here have been placed with families as far away as Chicago and Florida.

Many of the inmate trainers have been convicted of serious crimes, including murder. Even the most hardened, however, can be suckers for the dogs. They get down on the floor and talk in playful voices to the dogs.

No tax dollars go into the program, officials said, and the animals' food is donated or purchased with the $100 adoption fees.

Participation is considered a privilege, because trainers have slightly more freedom of movement than other inmates. Sex offenders and child abusers are not allowed to participate. Inmates must maintain good behavior.

"It makes inmates realize that they can't just reach out and slug somebody," said Roma Paulsen, a prison secretary who has helped run the program since it started in 1995.

Inmate Mark Painter, who has trained more than 15 dogs in three years, said initially it was hard to part with an animal with which he had spent so much time. Now, he said, he looks forward to getting a dog ready to go home with a family and starting fresh with a new one. His latest project is a 2 1/2-year-old coon hound named Blue.

"It helps pass the time," said Painter, 34, who is serving nine years for aggravated felonious assault. "It gives me something to look forward to."

Painter also keeps records for the program, including histories of shots and lists of donations. He's grateful to have something meaningful to do, but says there's little question about who gets the better end of the deal.

"Him," he said, pointing to an excited Blue. "He gets to go home."