By C1 Staff
PENDLETON, Ind. — The Pendleton Correctional Facility is using shelter cats to teach inmates responsibility.
WISH TV reports that the program, Felines and Offenders Rehabilitation With Affection, Reformation and Dedication (FORWARD), started in late March.
An office space inside the facility was revamped to be living quarters for the animals, where they are cared for, groomed and the space kept clean by selected inmates. The cats come from the Animal Protection League in Anderson.
The prison space offers room to get some of the cats out of the no-kill shelter to a place where they get more attention and a greater possibility of being adopted someday.
The hope is that the cats will be adopted by staff or offenders’ families, allowing other animals to be brought into the sanctuary.
Inmates say the program helps them to stay calm and relax while serving their sentences. Staff agree, saying that getting to spend time with the cats is the best part of their day.
They’ve noticed changes in the felines as well, many of whom come from poor backgrounds and aren’t socialized properly.
The prison also offers a successful dog rehabilitation and training program. The cat program was made possible entirely through donations.