By Natasha Lindstrom
Ventura County Star
MARICOPA COUNTY, Ariz. In Maricopa County, Ariz., Sheriff Joe Arpaio -- better known for tent cities and issuing inmates pink boxer shorts -- is putting jail inmates and homeless pets together.
Arpaio has converted an old jail into a no-kill animal shelter staffed by corrections officers and female inmates.
The animal shelters are now all staffed and operated by prisoners.
They feed and care for the strays. Every animal in his care is taken out and walked twice daily.
Some inmates are paid less than $1 an hour. Others work for free, happy just to work with the animals, saving taxpayer money.
Most of the budget is for utilities, building maintenance, according to reports. Arpaio pays the prisoners out of the fees collected for adopted animals.
Locally, the PAL Humane Society in Apple Valley is preparing to launch the Prison Dog Project, which will pair dogs from local shelters to prisoners who have demonstrated good behavior. Inmates will teach obedience training, and eventually some inmates will train the animals to be service dogs for the handicapped.
The program frees up the shelters to accept more animals and makes the dogs more adoptable pets. At the same time, inmates learn a real skill and learn to deal with others without violence.
Other local animal shelters, including the ones run by Hesperia and Apple Valley, already participate in Work Release programs through the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department.
In Hesperia, which only has about 10 fulltime animal care and control employees, the free labor is in demand.
“They come in and clean the kennels, which allows our city staff to work with the public and work more directly with the animals,” said Hesperia spokeswoman
Kim Summers. “It helps us with getting people into the work force, as well as our labor needs.”
Copyright 2009 Ventura County Star