FCI Danbury’s Tails of Justice Program Helps with Rehabilitation

DANBURY, Conn. — Inmates at the Federal Correctional Institution, Danbury (FCI Danbury) have proved, yet again, that a dog really is man’s best friend. Tails of Courage, a national dog-rescue organization based in Danbury, brought dogs to the prison’s minimum-security women’s camp in April for the launch of its new dog-training program called Tails of Justice.

The way the program works is that each dog is partnered with an inmate who watches the dog 24/7 until it is adopted, reported Newstimes, a local publication. Two of the inmates already certified to handle dogs will help train two other inmates to raise a dog. The second inmate will work as a back-up handler while the primary handler is eating or showering. When inmates complete the training, they too will receive a certification from the Department of Labor that will allow them to begin training other inmates.

The program goal is to provide inmates with job skills that they can use to find jobs at animal shelters, dog-grooming facilities and other similar business upon entry back into society. “This partly helps them do their time because they have the emotional connection to the animal,” Lynne Kelly, the facility’s executive assistant and camp administrator told Newstimes. “It helps them get through the day and it also gives them a marketable skill to find employment.”

The program launched as part of National Reentry Week, a new initiative by the U.S. Department of Justice. Other activities included a job fair, a seminar on how to start a business, presentations about programs available to inmates on supervised release and panel discussions about both existing and new re-entry programs.

“The Justice Department is committed to reducing recidivism and making our communities safer,” said U.S. Attorney Deirdre M. Daly in a statement, released back in April. “A major part of this commitment is assisting those who have served time in prison transition to being productive and law-abiding members of society. Too often, returning citizens face impregnable barriers as they compete for jobs, seek to attain stable housing and support their families. Successful re-entry programs benefit all of us.”