I'm in favor of these programs as long as the inmates are carefully selected. There have been a number of cases in which the dogs ended up being used as drug mules. Good grief.
I saw a program many years ago in which lifers (so they weren't applying for the program just to look good at a probation hearing--they were committed to the program) were selected to train service dogs for children. They interviewed one inmate, who'd trained a beautiful yellow lab. Then came the day when the dog was to be turned over to the program director. The correspondent asked the inmate why he didn't do the handover, himself. He replied, "Because this isn't the kind of place where you want others to see you cry."
Anyway, he and several of the inmate trainers had pics of numerous canine "graduates" with their new owners and families posted in their cells. You could see how proud they were.
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