WARREN, Maine (NEWS CENTER) -- A program at the Maine State Prison is in its 10th year of training adoptable dogs.
K9 Corrections started at the Bolduc Correctional Facility that houses minimum security inmates, but is now half way through its third year of providing dogs within the walls of maximum security at the Maine State Prison in Warren. More than 100 dogs have successfully finished the program according to dog trainer, Marie Finnegan.
"It started as a program about the dogs at the shelter needing homes and needing the training to be more adoptable, but it's become bigger than that because of the benefits it has brought to the prison itself."
The dogs are provided by Pope Memorial Humane Society in Thomaston. Joshua Cookson is currently working with his tenth dog, Wyatt. He uses positive reinforcement training to teach the red boned coon hound obedience. A job that gives him purpose while he serves his 30 year sentence that resulted from murder charges.
"You got to get up and you got to get the dog out," said Cookson. "You got certain routines, basic things that the dog needs and you got to be there to provide it for him, so yes it does provide your day with a purpose."
The dogs that go through K9 Corrections all come away from the program house trained as well as crate trained. If you're interested in adopting one of the dogs, click here.