Prison Dogs:

Hard Time, Soft Hearts

By Hugh Jones

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Getting to this story is a little more difficult than most: a sign-in sheet, special tag to wear, locked doors and gates to go through. Once inside, all the buildings are functionally bland and similar, but it seems nice enough, kind of like a college campus. Only, all the residents wear the same outfits. Then there's the guard tower and tall fences topped with razor wire.

This is Lexington Correctional Center, a facility miles southeast of Oklahoma City that houses over 1,000 inmates in minimum, medium and maximum security units. Unit 3, a medium unit, also houses very different inmates, ones with four legs. No, the dogs didn't commit crimes. They're here temporarily–except Scotty.

Story goes: the half airedale, half lab mix got a weekend pass. Scotty went home with a prison official and killed the wife's cat. Now he's a lifer. But he's a nice guy, really.

"Yeah, he's our mascot. We take him to visit nursing homes and senior citizen centers," says Sgt. Tracy Beckelheimer.

"He's very smart," adds Sgt. Lee Fairchild, "and nonaggressive. He helps us break the more aggressive dogs."

Beckelheimer is coordinator and Fairchild co-coordinator of the Friends for Folks program, which rescues stray, abandoned and abused dogs. Then, inmate volunteers train them, through basic obedience and social skills, to become companions for the elderly and disabled. It's the only program of its kind in the state. And what these inmates–two and four legged–do is quite impressive.

Lee Fairchild, Bo Jones, Tracy Beckelheimer.

Rounding a corner in Unit 3, one steps out of the blandness into an unusual setting: a small white building with kennels attached–in front, a flower garden and water fountain. Down a gentle green slope 70 yards distant, two inmates practice on a track with a couple of black labs. Beckelheimer, Fairchild, Bo Jones, unit manager, and several inmates gather to watch.

The teams work in perfect harmony. Rick Lamb orders his to sit, walks 30 yards away, motions with his hand, and the dog comes running. Marvin Perry walks with a lab glued to his side. When he stops, the dog stops. When he backs up, the dog backs up.

"He's being trained to stay out of an elderly person's way," says inmate and kennel manager Jamie Abels. "We don't want someone tripping over him."

Friends for Folks, inspired by a program at a women's prison in Washington state, started in 1990. Since then, over 200 dogs have been placed in Oklahoma and in surrounding states. The program is a winner for all involved: the dogs, those who receive them and the inmates.

The dogs get a second chance to live out their lives in a useful manner in a non-abusive environment. There's no cost to the recipients, and the dogs are delivered. For senior citizens, the dogs fill a void, helping them cope with loneliness and the need to show affection. For the inmates, it's a chance to change their outlook on life. The program's goal is to cultivate a human-animal bond as the inmates develop a more caring attitude and better self-image–thus, a more positive attitude toward others.

"It teaches them responsibility and lets them put something positive back into the community," says Fairchild. "And we save a lot of dogs."

Most of the dogs come from Second Chance in nearby Norman. The sanctuary donates the cost of spaying and neutering, which helps, because Friends receives no funding. The Oklahoma Department of Corrections provides only the training facility.

One way Friends raises funds is through its popular H.I.T. (High Intensity Training) program. Citizens can bring their dogs to the facility for obedience training. The dogs stay 30 days. The cost is a $75 donation, and owners must provide dog food.

Normal training takes 10 weeks, but these dogs progress much faster under the constant care of four inmates in the H.I.T. program. The other inmates have full-time jobs at Lexington, in addition to their dog duties. But for these four, training is their full-time job.

"And they're good," says Fairchild. "In fact, we have a waiting list of people wanting to get their dogs in here."

Friends is careful in choosing strays, based on personality and likelihood of completing the program. Likewise, in the selection of inmates.

"To be in this program, they have to live in this unit," says Beckelheimer. "They put in an application. Lee and I go over them, talk with the unit manager, run a background check. We interview them, tell them what's involved and what's expected."

"And we expect more from them than the average inmate," says Fairchild. "They'll be the first picked for a drug test. Their cells need to be a little cleaner and so on. They must have good conduct."

"I can verify that," says inmate Stephen Binsz, who's involved in kennel maintenance. The kennels and dogs are cleaned regularly. "I was a problem inmate, and they made me wait a whole year to get into the program. They're tough, but I love the program."

So, it seems, do all the inmates. "This is in addition to their regular jobs," says Bo Jones. "There's no pay, no extra earned credit for this. They volunteer their time."

And that makes what they do all the more remarkable. Beckelheimer trains the inmates to train the dogs.

The men of Unit 3, top to bottom, left to right:
Stephen Binsz, Larry Raffaell, Rafael Tabares, Darryl Winters,
David Dunn, Marvin Perry, Jamie Abels (and Scotty), Rick Lamb

"We teach them the commands and how to make the dogs do them. Then it's up to the inmates to come out here in their spare time and do the work. In special situations, like if we know the recipient is in a wheelchair, we train the dog around one. The dog does commands to the chair. And we can teach him paws up. If it's a small dog, to jump into the lap."

The most difficult part may be saying goodbye. "It's hard on the guys when the dogs leave," says Fairchild.

Beckelheimer agrees. "They get real attached. It's rough, working your tail off training a dog, knowing in the end you have to give it up to someone you don't even know."

"But there's also the reward of seeing the dog go to a good home," says Fairchild. "And, it's funny, sometimes the dogs seem to know why they're going. We just delivered one to a man in Broken Bow. He put his head in the man's lap, and when we left, he was laying by his feet."

Beckelheimer smiled. "We trained an Australian Shepherd for a little boy who had cerebral palsy. He and his mother came down. The dog was in here with the guys. When they came in the door, the dog got up and went straight to the boy. And you couldn't separate them. That will put a knot in your throat. It's what the program is all about."

Editor's note: Friends for Folks wants to take this opportunity to thank those who help their program, in particular, Dr. John Otto of the University Animal Hospital in Norman. He devotes much time and effort to the cause. And the OSU Veterinary School which donates food. If you're interested in having a dog trained or in obtaining one, call 405-527-5676 Ext. 2630.

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