[nagdu] Going to Prison.

Wed Aug 12 01:58:15 UTC 2015

Sandra,
I'm not sure if you've ever raised a puppy, but believe it or not,
these puppies are not out and training all day every day. During the
first few months of training, you spend more time in-house, teaching
your dog basic obedience and general expectations on house-living,
house-training, and interacting with people. Also, people typically
take their dogs out a couple times a week, for different lengths of
time, depending on what the dog is individually able to handle. In
reality, a weekend is enough to do what raisers would typically do in
a week, in addition to the exposure that they get in the prisons.

There is much more to prison life than being locked up in a cell. At
many prisons, prisoners have daily tasks that they must complete, such
as cooking, laundry, cleaning. Prisoners have access to church
services, libraries, and dining halls as well. Furthermore, there are
cities who seem to run on their prison population. I used to live in
grand Rapids, where prisoners shovel and plow the snow, clean the
streets, and do construction work.
So neither prisoners nor the puppies some of them raise are stewing in
a cell. They have things to do, just like we do.

I have seen puppies raised in the prison system, and they are
extremely well-behaved, typically better behaved than many of the
home-raised dogs I see.

I personally wouldn't care who raised my dog. After the dog is mine,
it is my responsibility to ensure that the dog meets my expectations
and behaves in a way that matches my personal standards.

It's okay to have your own opinion, just know that your opinions and
assumptions demonstrate that you are ill-informed about prison life,
pups' lives in prison, and the very prisoners who raise the dogs.
-- 
Raven
Founder of 1AM Editing & Research
www.1am-editing.com

You are valuable because of your potential, not because of what you
have or what you do.

Naturally-reared guide dogs
https://groups.google.com/d/forum/nrguidedogs

On 8/11/15, S L Johnson via nagdu <nagdu at nfbnet.org> wrote:
> For your information, I am retired now but, I have worked in the human
> services field and in music ministries.  My guide dogs were always with me.
>
> We all have our own comfort levels and are all entitled to our own opinions.
>
> That doesn't make me a bad person any more than your opinion would make you
>
> one.
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Julie J. via nagdu
> Sent: Monday, August 10, 2015 8:13 PM
> To: NAGDU Mailing List,the National Association of Guide Dog Users
> Cc: Julie J.
> Subject: Re: [nagdu] Going to Prison.
>
> Sandra,
> My last job was working with criminal offenders.  Never having my guide
> around *those people* would have meant a lot less work for him.  What's the
> point?
>
> It's clear you do not or ever have worked in a human service field and
> personally I think that's been a good choice for you.  I won't go into all
> the misconceptions about *those people* because that is far off topic for
> this list.  I do wish that you'd at least try to be supportive of people.
> Cindy is a minister.  she is trying to do the right thing both for herself
> and others.   She's asking for information and also support as she tries
> new
> things and expands her work.  I think that's great.   I wish her all the
> best as she moves forward with her dreams.
>
> Julie
> Courage to Dare: A Blind Woman's Quest to Train her Own Guide Dog is now
> available! Get the book here:
> http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00QXZSMOC
> -----Original Message-----
> From: S L Johnson via nagdu
> Sent: Monday, August 10, 2015 6:01 PM
> To: NAGDU Mailing List,the National Association of Guide Dog Users
> Cc: S L Johnson
> Subject: Re: [nagdu] Going to Prison.
>
> I would never consider visiting  prison with or without my dog.  They are
> criminals and do not deserve to even look at my dog.  Keep your poor
> innocent dog away from the criminals.  Why should you feel sorry for
> someone
> who committed a crime?
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Sherry Gomes via nagdu
> Sent: Monday, August 10, 2015 6:52 PM
> To: 'NAGDU Mailing List,the National Association of Guide Dog Users'
> Cc: Sherry Gomes ; 'Julie J.'
> Subject: Re: [nagdu] Going to Prison.
>
> The times I took my dog with me into prisons, it was emotional for the
> inmates, but they thanked me repeatedly and profusely for doing it. At San
> Quentin, when I went with my cousin to visit her husband, one time a woman
> came up to me and asked if her husband could pet my dog. She told me he
> hadn't seen a dog in fifteen years. He was in prison for life. I didn't ask
> why. I allowed him to pet my dog, and he cried and cried and thanked me
> over
> and over. It meant a lot to him to be able to pet a dog. The times I went
> with my singing group, nobody asked to pet my dog, but many inmates
> commented on her and how much they loved seeing her.
>
> Sherry
>
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: nagdu [mailto:nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Julie J. via
> nagdu
> Sent: Monday, August 10, 2015 4:43 PM
> To: NAGDU Mailing List, the National Association of Guide Dog Users
> <nagdu at nfbnet.org>
> Cc: Julie J. <julielj at neb.rr.com>
> Subject: Re: [nagdu] Going to Prison.
>
> I don't know about entering a prison with a guide.  In my last job, I used
> to have a couple of inmates from the women's prison come and talk to the
> class participants.    The only issue was that it was very emotional for
> some of the inmates.  They may not have seen a dog for many years.  One
> lady
>
> had to give up her dogs when she was sentenced.  She didn't know if they
> found homes or what happened to them.  Seeing my dog reminded her of all
> that pain.  She was in tears for most of the 1.5 hours they were there.
>
> I'm not saying to leave your guide behind, but just to  be aware that the
> presence of a dog could be an emotional issue.   It could be a positive
> thing or not, no way to know beforehand.  Of course none of this has
> anything what-so-ever to do with your legal rights in this situation.
>
> Julie
> Courage to Dare: A Blind Woman's Quest to Train her Own Guide Dog is now
> available! Get the book here:
> http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00QXZSMOC
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Cindy Ray via nagdu
> Sent: Monday, August 10, 2015 5:25 PM
> To: 'NAGDU Mailing List,the National Association of Guide Dog Users'
> Cc: Cindy Ray
> Subject: [nagdu] Going to Prison.
>
> I am going to go to the women's pennitentury to help with a worship
> service.
> I am wondering about the dog, whether he will be welcome there. I did take
> a
> dog with me to the Shawnee County Jail in Topeka, Kansas, but since the
> minister isn't sure I can bring the dog, she is asking someone. I need to
> be
> prepared.
>
> Thanks.
>
> Cindy Lou Ray
>
> cindyray at gmail.com <mailto:cindyray at gmail.com>
>
>
>
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