S.P.O.T. Dog Program

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The Mike Durfee State Prison (MDSP) is partnering with the Yankton Heartland Humane Society, which provides food, crates, vaccines, toys, beds, leashes, collars, and dogs for the State Prison Obedience Training (S.P.O.T) program.

The SDDOC contracted with an expert who trained offenders and one staff member at MDSP to implement the S.P.O.T. program, which provides obedience training, including potty training, crate training, loose-leash walking, basic commands, and trick training.

The dogs live in the housing unit with offenders who are working with the dog program. There are designated training areas on the prison grounds for the dogs and their handlers.

The program's goal is to increase the dogs' adoptability and decrease the likelihood that the dogs will be returned once adopted. It also brings responsibility to the offenders involved in the program. The offenders earn a level of accomplishment and achievement when they can interact with these dogs and return them to the community where they can become a family pet with good behaviors and manners.

The dog’s benefit from the additional training from the handlers should increase their chances of adoption, and interactions with humans will provide positive experiences for dogs that may not have been appropriately or adequately socialized. The handlers gain vocational skills, experience personal growth, and develop pro-social skills. The dogs also help lower the stress levels of the prison staff and offenders. Research from other state-run dog programs shows that the programs contribute to the prison facilities demonstrating less violent, safer, and better places to work and live. 

The typical duration of the program is 8 weeks. This timeline can vary based on several factors, including the adoptability of the dogs.

The first dogs graduated from the program in November 2024.

DOC plans to expand the program to other facilities.

 

 

Pawsitive Pups program