“I used to be misplaced,” he mentioned. “I made selections after I was young. I did not notice the impact the childhood trauma would have on me.”
If you ask him, he would say he’s now not misplaced due to a program at San Quentin that enables him to coach future service dogs.
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“You pet these dogs – it modifications you,” he mentioned. “It’s an incredible alternative for me to assist out and provides again to my society that I took a lot from.”
Santa Rosa-based Canine Companions for Independence has a program with San Quentin that takes puppies and lets inmates practice them their basic instructions. After a yr of coaching, they return to Santa Rosa to get extra superior coaching to change into a service canine.
“We’ve discovered that our dogs have a greater probability of changing into full service dogs once they undergo packages like this,” mentioned James Dern, CCI’s program director. “The stage of coaching that these puppies have obtained right here is nothing in need of perfection.”
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It began a yr in the past with two puppies. Now, it expanded to 6 puppies. CCI says they received a grant from the state they hope will increase it within the coming years. CCI has a number of of those packages with detention facilities across the nation. They say it helps the inmates and results in a decrease price of recidivism.
Jorge says, due to the puppy elevating program, he sees a future past the partitions of San Quentin.
“Today, I’m a greater brother. I’m a husband. I’m about to have a child,” he mentioned. “There is all the pieces to be pleased with.”
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