Friday, November 13, 2009
Inmates become angels for animals
A program lets the inmates and the animals at Angels of Assisi build mutual support and respect.
Kyle Green | The Roanoke Times
A Roanoke City Jail inmate pets a dog before their walk together through downtown Roanoke as part of the Inmate Work Crew Program arrangement between the jail and Angels of Assisi. The inmates were under the supervision of Deputy Nancy Brown, who said she takes the inmates, all of whom are volunteers with less than six months to go on their sentences, to spend time with the dogs a couple of times a month.
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Twice a month, Roanoke jail inmates can be seen walking the streets with furry friends in tow.
It's part of the Inmate Work Crew Program: Qualified inmates are given the opportunity to volunteer with Angels of Assisi.
"Of course you know animals are all unconditional love. They don't care who you are or what you've done," said Nancy Brown of the Roanoke Sheriff's Office, who supervises the program.
Volunteer duties include cleaning dog pens and cat cages, filling food and water bowls, bathing the animals, cleaning the facility and trimming hedges on the perimeter of the building. Generally four inmates at a time volunteer, and they must not have committed major offenses, Brown said.
Lisa O'Neill, Angels of Assisi's volunteer coordinator, said the free labor through the program gives staff time to focus their energy in other areas.
"They do a lot of sort of hard work, that frees up the staff so they can process adoption applications and help bring in more animals," she said.
O'Neill said the program's participants have also played a role in socializing the animals. By being exposed to people, they're better off when somebody stops by to adopt them, she said.
Brown said a lot of the inmates become attached to the animals during their volunteer work through a common background many of them share.
She said a number of inmates have been physically or sexually abused in the past, so they immediately develop a bond with the animals.
"When you go work with the animals who have been abused, mistreated or homeless, a lot of the inmates can relate to that," Brown said.
O'Neill said she enjoys that for those inmates who have experienced abuse, they are given the opportunity to help, since the animals can't help themselves.
She also hopes that volunteers who may not have been animal-friendly in the past are made aware that animal neglect and abuse isn't acceptable.
Having seen situations ranging from a dog chained up for weeks to months on end with little to no food, to a cat thrown out of a car window and suffering a broken leg, O'Neill said she tries to raise awareness whenever possible.
Learning experiences aside, O'Neill said she appreciates that prisoners can bond with something that isn't there to pass judgment, and is just happy that someone is able to pay attention to them.
"I think in the animal's eye that person has a fresh start," O'Neill said.
