Advancing Corrections Journal - Edition #10 - Understanding, Assessing, Managing and Reducing RISK (ACJ10-A011)

Article 11: Dog Training Programs-A Strength-Based Approach To Correctional Treatment (ACJ10-A011)

Abstract

Traditionally, programming in carceral facilities is focused on targeting criminogenic risk through a deficit perspective – fix what is lacking or missing and you reduce recidivism. Although still focusing on criminogenic risk, carceral dog training programs (DTPs), in contrast, respond to these risks guided by a strengths-based approach. The programs encourage individuals to develop the values and skills needed to effectively obtain universal human needs such as a sense of purpose and significance, love and connection. The programs are holistic and provide positive and healing experiences that target multiple criminogenic risks while also providing protective factors such as positive influencers and support networks. The current paper provides a theoretical and evidence-informed framework for understanding the impact of DTPs and examines the use of DTPs in carceral facilities from a strengths-based perspective for supporting change and risk reduction.

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Authors

Dr. Kimberly Houser

Associate Professor, Rowan University, United States

Dr. Kimberly Houser is an Associate Professor in the Department of Law and Justice Studies at Rowan University. She received her Ph.D. from Temple University where she worked as a research consultant on the Criminal Justice Drug Abuse Treatment Study. She has published in the areas of mental illness, substance use disorders, and co-occurring disorders in the offender population, misconduct in correctional facilities, animal visitation as therapeutic interventions for jailed populations, and the influence of neighborhood context and nonresidential land use on reentry and recidivism. She has served as a consultant on a Second Chance Act Grant and as an evaluator for a Congressionally mandated evaluation as part of the 21st Century Cures Act of a pilot federal mental health court.

Dr. Gennifer Furst

Professor, William Paterson University, United States

Dr. Gennifer Furst has a Ph.D. in Criminal Justice from CUNY Graduate Center/John Jay College. She is a professor of Criminology & Criminal Justice at William Paterson University of NJ. Her research focuses on issues of incarceration and prison programming. Prior to teaching, Dr. Furst worked for The Correctional Association of New York, one of the nation’s three prison oversight agencies. She has also consulted with the Museum of Tolerance New York where she facilitated groups focused on the challenges and ethical dilemmas faced by correction officers. She is recognized for her expertise regarding carceral dog training programs. She published the first book on animal programs in prison. Her previous research has examined the experiences of multiracial incarcerated people. She is currently involved in research about incarcerated mothers participating in a parenting program that uses animal-assisted therapy.

Advancing Corrections Journal - Edition #10 - Understanding, Assessing, Managing and Reducing RISK (ACJ10-A011)

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