Groundbreaking America’s VetDog Program “Graduates” its First Service Dogs

TOWSON, MD (October 24, 2013)---America’s first state prison program to have incarcerated veterans training service dogs for wounded Iraq and Afghanistan veterans celebrated a milestone today, when the first three “graduates” were handed over by inmate trainers to America’s VetDogs. Inmates at Maryland Correctional Institution-Hagerstown (MCI-H) have done a remarkable job teaching the pups to be the eyes, ears, arms, and legs for American heroes coming home with life-altering injuries and trauma.

Western Correctional Institution in Cumberland (WCI), whose team approach includes social work, psychology, case management, and custody personnel, will hold a similar graduation event tomorrow for its first three “graduates.”

This partnership with America’s VetDogs is one of the department’s many restorative justice Public Safety Works (PSW) projects, and one of the only behind-the-fence PSW initiatives. These projects provide skills as well as an opportunity for offenders to give back to the community they have harmed – a powerful and significant tool of rehabilitation.
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