Prison programs good for inmates and community

A new program going on at Hiland Mountain Correctional Center in Eagle River is paying double dividends. The facility, through the state Department of Corrections, recently partnered with the Mat-Su Borough's Animal Care and Regulation shelter to bring together incarcerated women and unwanted dogs.

The program, called SPOT, for Shelter Pet Obedience Training, put six dogs from the local shelter in the care of six specially screened, trained and selected inmates for weeks of obedience training. The symbolism is tough to miss - outcast animals, who were facing euthanasia after experiencing neglect, starvation and other forms of abuse, are getting a new lease on life at the hands of society's human outcasts, who themselves are benefiting from the bonding.

A story on Page A1 of this edition explains in greater detail the benefits to both hounds and humans. The evidence is difficult to ignore. Dogs will emerge from the program more fit for adoption. Their new owners will be the biggest beneficiaries of the program.

How individual inmates respond will be less easy to measure. But the potential is there for lasting impressions.

The program is one of several in the state correctional system that rewards good inmates with opportunities to &#8220give back” to the community. Hiland, for example, has a greenhouse and an orchestra, as well as a sewing program that contributes handmade items for elders in Native villages.

The correctional farm at Point MacKenzie has a hunger outreach initiative that collects train-killed moose for butchering and donation to area food banks. Inmates at the minimum security facility at Point MacKenzie also make wooden toys at Christmas and can be seen collecting litter in the spring.

Through creative programs like these, the prison system, which is a multimillion-dollar expense on the state's ledger, can contribute something, too. Corrections officials should be encouraged to continue these valuable programs.

In addition to the immediate return in the form of services and goods provided, they also help teach and hone skills that may end the cycle of recidivism for some. And that would be good news for all.