Downloaded from http://veterinaryrecord.bmj.com/ on May 16, 2015 - Published by group.bmj.com
News & Reports human-animal bond
Getting offenders back on the right track
(from left) Richie Moore, community engagement manager at HMP/YOI Littlehey; Andrew Higgins, chairman of the Retired Greyhounds Trust; Jeremy Wright, the prisons’ minister; Linda Callander, the greyhound project’s manager at Littlehey; and Richard Payne, the veterinary surgeon who is monitoring the health of the greyhounds involved
JEREMY Wright, the prisons’ minister, visited a young offenders’ institute in Cambridgeshire recently, to see for himself an innovative programme teaching offenders valuable skills and responsibilities through caring for dogs. Three retired racing greyhounds from the Retired Greyhound Trust have taken up residence in specially built kennels within the grounds of HMP/YOI Littlehey, and are being cared for by a group of selected offenders, who are responsible for feeding, grooming and exercising them under the supervision of trained prison staff. The offenders also have the chance to work towards a nationally recognised vocational qualification in animal care, from the College of Animal Welfare, which could help boost their employment prospects when they are released. David, one of the participants in the project, commented: ‘This has been a great project for me and I’ve managed to get a qualification that will help me get employment when I am released.’ Mr Wright praised the partnership between the Retired Greyhound Trust and the young offenders’ institute: ‘We know that one of the keys to tackling reoffending is engaging prisoners in work and giving them life skills to help them lead law-abiding lives on release,’ he said. ‘Encouraging purposeful activity and training in prisons will help offenders address the issues that led to their imprisonment in the first place 568 | Veterinary Record | June 7, 2014
– reducing reoffending and preventing so many needless victims of crime.’ The health of the greyhounds being used in the project is being monitored by veterinary surgeon Richard Payne, a member of the Retired Greyhounds Trust’s veterinary committee. ‘I visit the prison twice a month to check the health of the greyhounds and provide advice to the project manager, Linda Callander, and also answer any questions the prisoners may have. ‘The greyhounds are rotated every three months and I give them a health check on arrival. The greyhounds enjoy their time at the prison, and are always pleased to see people, which speaks volumes for the socialisation and handling they get during their stay.’ Peter Laurie, chief executive of the Retired Greyhounds Trust, said that it had been well documented around the world that animals could help rehabilitate offenders. ‘It is heartening to see the bonds that are already developing between offenders, prison staff and the greyhounds involved with this project. The dogs are receiving the best of care and the offenders are really embracing the training opportunities on offer.’ Greyhounds that have taken part in the project either move directly into homes, or return to one of the Retired Greyhound Trust’s branches. doi: 10.1136/vr.g3698
Downloaded from http://veterinaryrecord.bmj.com/ on May 16, 2015 - Published by group.bmj.com
Getting offenders back on the right track
Veterinary Record 2014 174: 568
doi: 10.1136/vr.g3698 Updated information and services can be found at: http://veterinaryrecord.bmj.com/content/174/23/568.1
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To request permissions go to: http://group.bmj.com/group/rights-licensing/permissions To order reprints go to: http://journals.bmj.com/cgi/reprintform To subscribe to BMJ go to: http://group.bmj.com/subscribe/
News & Reports human-animal bond
Getting offenders back on the right track
(from left) Richie Moore, community engagement manager at HMP/YOI Littlehey; Andrew Higgins, chairman of the Retired Greyhounds Trust; Jeremy Wright, the prisons’ minister; Linda Callander, the greyhound project’s manager at Littlehey; and Richard Payne, the veterinary surgeon who is monitoring the health of the greyhounds involved
JEREMY Wright, the prisons’ minister, visited a young offenders’ institute in Cambridgeshire recently, to see for himself an innovative programme teaching offenders valuable skills and responsibilities through caring for dogs. Three retired racing greyhounds from the Retired Greyhound Trust have taken up residence in specially built kennels within the grounds of HMP/YOI Littlehey, and are being cared for by a group of selected offenders, who are responsible for feeding, grooming and exercising them under the supervision of trained prison staff. The offenders also have the chance to work towards a nationally recognised vocational qualification in animal care, from the College of Animal Welfare, which could help boost their employment prospects when they are released. David, one of the participants in the project, commented: ‘This has been a great project for me and I’ve managed to get a qualification that will help me get employment when I am released.’ Mr Wright praised the partnership between the Retired Greyhound Trust and the young offenders’ institute: ‘We know that one of the keys to tackling reoffending is engaging prisoners in work and giving them life skills to help them lead law-abiding lives on release,’ he said. ‘Encouraging purposeful activity and training in prisons will help offenders address the issues that led to their imprisonment in the first place 568 | Veterinary Record | June 7, 2014
– reducing reoffending and preventing so many needless victims of crime.’ The health of the greyhounds being used in the project is being monitored by veterinary surgeon Richard Payne, a member of the Retired Greyhounds Trust’s veterinary committee. ‘I visit the prison twice a month to check the health of the greyhounds and provide advice to the project manager, Linda Callander, and also answer any questions the prisoners may have. ‘The greyhounds are rotated every three months and I give them a health check on arrival. The greyhounds enjoy their time at the prison, and are always pleased to see people, which speaks volumes for the socialisation and handling they get during their stay.’ Peter Laurie, chief executive of the Retired Greyhounds Trust, said that it had been well documented around the world that animals could help rehabilitate offenders. ‘It is heartening to see the bonds that are already developing between offenders, prison staff and the greyhounds involved with this project. The dogs are receiving the best of care and the offenders are really embracing the training opportunities on offer.’ Greyhounds that have taken part in the project either move directly into homes, or return to one of the Retired Greyhound Trust’s branches. doi: 10.1136/vr.g3698
Downloaded from http://veterinaryrecord.bmj.com/ on May 16, 2015 - Published by group.bmj.com
Getting offenders back on the right track
Veterinary Record 2014 174: 568
doi: 10.1136/vr.g3698 Updated information and services can be found at: http://veterinaryrecord.bmj.com/content/174/23/568.1
These include:
Email alerting service
Receive free email alerts when new articles cite this article. Sign up in the box at the top right corner of the online article.
Notes
To request permissions go to: http://group.bmj.com/group/rights-licensing/permissions To order reprints go to: http://journals.bmj.com/cgi/reprintform To subscribe to BMJ go to: http://group.bmj.com/subscribe/
