TRAINING PROGRAM 2
The Authors
During his time at Indiana University and Purdue University Indianapolis, Eric Grommon
served as an associate professor in the department of Public and Environmental Affairs. During
her time at Indiana University Purdue University Indianapolis, Dena C. Carson worked as an
assistant professor in the department of Public and Environmental Affairs. The Wyoming
Department of Corrections has Lauren Kenney working as a member of their Prison Division
Training Program Manager team at the moment.
Article Review
The researcher's Eric Grommon, Dena Carson, and Lauren Kenney (2020) conducted a
study on a dog education program that might be beneficial to adolescents who are housed in
correctional facilities. The research was conducted both before and after the trial evaluation took
place, and it was carried out in significant cities located in the Midwestern region. Numerous
facets, including self-esteem, understanding, positivity, negativity, empathy, and social
acceptability, were among the things that were investigated. During the course of the programs,
the procedures that were followed were altered on many occasions. The participants in the dog-
training program have the opportunity to improve their lives and the abilities they already
possess with the aid of the program.
The implementation of dog training programs inside secure juvenile detention institutions
was done with the intention of assisting in the overall wellness improvement of the juvenile
offenders. "There has been mismatched research that has discovered that there is a diverse result
of emotional and behavioral problems including self-esteem, self-control, depression, and self-
efficacy," which means that the results of these studies can't be compared with other other (PG
300). A number of holes have been found in the study, and the standards regarding the way the
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dogs were treated have been laxly followed. On the other hand, there were noticeable
improvements to the subjects' psychological functioning. There has been a diminishment in the
amount of criminal activity. The dog education programs contributed to shorter than normal
periods of stays in the juvenile institutions. Additionally, the programs helped offenders remain
engaged with the activities that were available to them.
"Youth who are housed in correctional facilities have a tenfold increased risk of suffering
from serious psychoses compared to the general teenage population" (PG 300). Through
participation in the dog program, adolescents are given a helping hand in improving both their
mental and physical well-being. There are several components of the criminal justice system that
have the potential to hinder the growth of adolescents, putting them at increased risk for negative
outcomes in the future. The dog training regimen has contributed to the strengthening of the link
that exists between people and animals, as well as provided the adolescents with an opportunity
that they otherwise may not have had. The dog training programs provide them with a sense of
direction and purpose in their lives. Many research focusing on juveniles and carried out inside
detention institutions have shown that many programs suffer from methodological shortcomings.
These studies have been shown by these studies. There was never any evidence that obedience
was ever given. Despite this, there have been advancements made in areas like as self-efficacy,
empathy, and the willingness to develop relationships with staff, as well as a reduction in
recidivism.
“The scholarly endeavor, which contributes to the expansion of the body of information
in three primary areas. First, it employs an experimental design in order to reduce the number of
problems associated with selection. Two, it contains a control group that was subjected to the
"regular circumstances" of a secure correctional institution. In the end, it examines how well a
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model for a program that lasts for a shorter amount of time may work in a juvenile correctional
facility. As a result of the limited number of programming options that are now accessible, the
facility's typical circumstances tend to be experienced more consistently there” (PG 301). It is
beneficial to the growth of the juveniles to enable them to participate in the dog training
curriculum, which also provides the juveniles with skills that will be useful for the rest of their
lives. The initiatives collaborated with local youth correctional facilities as well as animal
shelters throughout the county. Within the dog education program, there are twelve adolescents
and six adults who have been paired with one another to help oversee the program and assist
with the training of the dogs. The teenagers who were picked for tiring the dogs have been
charged with, in decreasing order, drug possession, property theft, assault with a weapon, and
weapon possession.
During the course of the trial, the dog training process also included treatment groups.
During the course of the investigation, each of the six variables was investigated and gathered.
During the course of the research, each variable was assigned a range between one and three,
which served as the basis for the outcome scale. In the end, the results of the research on the dog
training program showed that there was no discernible difference between individuals who
participated in the study and those who did not. There was no clear winner in terms of who
received the benefits. Over the course of observation, there were indications that juveniles' levels
of compassion and self-esteem had improved. The efficiency of the dog training methods varies
depending on the situation. The one-of-a-kind model that was used was helpful in maintaining
the framework of the research, as well as the programs and juvenile correctional institutions.
After the research was over, there were still a great deal of questions that needed to be addressed.
