In April 2016, Moshannon Valley Correctional Center partnered with United Disability Services (UDS) of Lancaster, Pennsylvania to implement the BARKS Service Dog Program. United Disability Services is a non-profit organization committed to helping people with disabilities, including veterans and the elderly, lead more independent and fulfilling lives.
Most of their dogs assist people with mobility issues; however, they also have had success placing service dogs with children who have Autism spectrum disorders and individuals suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder. The acronym BARKS was selected to describe the mission of the program. It refers to five elements the program is designed to foster, namely Benefit, Assist, Rehabilitate, Knowledge, and Service. UDS utilized a “train the trainer” model in which five Moshannon Valley Correctional Center staff members learned to be service dog trainers and then returned to the facility to teach the inmate handlers how to train the dogs.
UDS conducts quarterly visits to the facility. The BARKS program was launched with the arrival of four Labrador Retriever puppies. The puppies were matched to eight inmate handlers. The carefully vetted inmate handlers care for and teach the dogs basic to intermediate level commands. The dogs reside with the men in their cells, two inmates to a cell. The inmate dog trainers attend weekly classes with the staff instructors to teach the dogs over fifty commands. The dogs will remain at the facility from approximately twelve weeks to fifteen months, completing the first phase of service dog training. Moshannon Valley Correctional Center believes the dogs provide an invaluable training program for the inmates, helping in their rehabilitation process as well. The success of the dogs gives not only the inmates, but staff as well, a sense of pride, accomplishment, and an opportunity to give something positive back to the community.
