Animal-assisted therapy in a Canadian psychiatric prison

Abstract

Purpose Prison-based animal programs are becoming increasingly common in North America. The majority focus on community and animal well-being, with less explicit therapeutic goals for human participants. The purpose of this paper is to measure the objectives of a canine animal-assisted therapy (AAT) program in a Canadian psychiatric prison and examine whether the program supports inmates’ correctional plans. Design/methodology/approach A modified instrumental case study design was applied with three inmates over a 24-AAT-session program. Quantitative and qualitative AAT session data were collected and mid- and end-of-program interviews were held with the inmates, their mental health clinicians and the therapy dog handlers. Findings Inmates connected with the therapy dogs through the animals’ perceived offering of love and support. This development of a human–animal bond supported inmates’ correctional plans, which are largely situated within a cognitive-behavioral skill development framework. Specifically, inmates’ connections with the therapy dogs increased recognition of their personal feelings and emotions and positively impacted their conduct. Research limitations/implications The findings suggest that prison-based AAT programs emphasizing inmate mental well-being, alongside that of animal and community well-being generally, merit further exploration. It would be worthwhile to assess this AAT program with a larger and more diverse sample of inmates and in a different institutional context and also to conduct a post-intervention follow-up. Originality/value This is the first study of a prison-based AAT program in a Canadian psychiatric correctional facility.

Effects of Dog-Based Animal-Assisted Interventions in Prison Population: A Systematic Review

“…In addition, four articles [ 18 , 32 , 56 , 57 ] (20% of the total) evaluated both female and male inmates; one of them [ 18 ] was developed in a psychiatric prison. Additionally, four articles [ 45 , 46 , 58 , 59 ] (20% of the total) investigated young inmates.…”

“…Table 2 shows the control group protocols for each article. Fourteen of them [ 14 , 18 , 39 , 44 , 48 , 49 , 52 , 53 , 54 , 55 , 56 , 57 , 58 , 59 ] did not include a control group, while the design of remaining six studies [ 32 , 45 , 46 , 47 , 50 , 51 ] did. In this regard, treatment as usual or activities without dog presence were the most usual protocols for control groups.…”

“…Moreover, two articles were classified as non-randomized controlled trials [ 32 , 47 ] (two groups with pre and post assessments but without randomization), showing between groups effects on depression, sleep disorders, infraction rate, or state anxiety. The other seven articles [ 18 , 39 , 48 , 49 , 54 , 56 , 57 ] were observational studies, with reporting effects on recidivism, emotional state, tension, cortisol level, or emotional stability among other variables.…”

“…On the one hand, the AAA are less-formal interventions that aim to provide opportunities for motivational, educational, recreational, and/or therapeutic benefits to enhance quality of life but are not necessarily individualized or documented [ 17 ]. On the other hand, the AAT are defined as a goal oriented, planned, structured, and documented therapeutic intervention directed by health and human service providers in which an animal that meets specific criteria is an integral part of the treatment process [ 16 , 18 ]. Therefore, the interaction between the animal and the human could help to achieve a large variety of psychological and physical benefits for humans.…”

“…Different AAI approaches in terms of scope, aim, eligibility, or animal species involved have been described [ 32 ]. In this regard, dogs and horses are the most common therapy animal [ 18 , 33 ], but equine-assisted activities or therapies usually requires that the participant go to a specific facility where the horses are, thus the applicability in the prison context is reduced. The dog-based AAI consists of providing care and training for dogs, and sometimes, it includes vocational or educational components to enhance employability [ 15 , 34 , 35 , 36 , 37 , 38 ].…”