"Pawsitive Second Chances" Dog Training in Jail

For Immediate Release 02/11/20

“PAWSITIVE SECOND CHANCES” DOG TRAINING IN JAIL

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Puppies and Female Inmates Graduate from Program

(Yaphank, NY) On Monday, February 10, 2020, Sheriff Errol D. Toulon Jr. held a graduation ceremony for six female inmates participating in a unique puppy-training program at the Yaphank Correctional Facility. This celebration took place at the Yaphank Correctional Facility in the Choose to Thrive Pod where the program currently resides.

In December 2018, Sheriff Toulon unveiled the Choose to Thrive Female Program Pod in the Yaphank Correctional Facility. The program uses a holistic approach to helping women behind bars get back into mainstream society. From trauma counseling to assistance for the inmates' children, the women are in a structured program where they can choose the courses or services they want. This is the first program pod offered to the female general population.

"Sometimes it's just that one little thing that can be transformative and that can put someone over the top to realize what they can achieve," Toulon said of the program.

"Pawsitive Second Chances" is a program designed and developed by Working Paws Training, Inc. where puppies are brought into the jail and are trained in basic obedience skills by the inmates. The puppies get exposure and socialization to various different sounds, smells, and visual stimuli, and the inmates get the opportunity to nurture the pups.