Tarrengower Prison is celebrating the rehabilitation of its 500th foster greyhound, ‘Boston’, who was trained through the Greyhound Adoption Program (GAP), which is designed to give four-legged companions and prisoners a new lease on life.

For more than a decade, prisoners at Tarrengower have worked closely with retired racing dogs, taking them through a training regime to prepare them for adoption into new homes.

The four-week program is part of the Prison Pet Partnership between Corrections Victoria and Greyhound Racing Victoria (GRV) and teaches selected prisoners valuable new skills to assist with their transition back into the community upon release.

Prisoners are chosen to participate in the program based on good behaviour and an interest in animal welfare. They are then partnered with ex-racing dogs to help teach the dogs to settle in to new environments.

The women take responsibility for feeding and exercising the dogs, as well as teaching them basic obedience skills. They train them to become familiar with stairs, noisy household appliances and being walked on a lead.

Prisoner Janet* said, “ The program has been therapeutic, improving my physical fitness, mental health and has provided a positive focus whilst in custody.

“The program has also increased my self-esteem and confidence, particularly seeing the dogs improve during the four-week training period.

“Working in the GAP team at Tarrengower has increased my communication skills and resilience. We all work together to achieve a common goal – retraining Greyhounds to be adopted in the wider community.”

The GAP at Tarrengower Prison has been operating since 2009, two years after the program began at Dhurringile Prison, near Murchison, in 2007.

GRV provides food and veterinary care for the greyhounds and delivers weekly training for the prisoners, which was moved online due to COVID-19 restrictions.

Training and work programs play a vital role in providing prisoners with new skills to assist with their rehabilitation and help reduce their risk of reoffending, while also boosting self-esteem – giving them the best chance of being productive members of the community when they’re released.

Minister for Corrections Natalie Hutchins who visited the minimum-security women’s prison on Monday to mark the major milestone said, “Rehabilitation and reintegration programs play a vital role in helping to break the cycle of re-offending, and programs like this provide prisoners with new skills and a sense of pride.

“It has been great to see the bond between the prisoners and the greyhounds today. The dogs will now prosper as pets thanks to the Greyhound Adoption Program and the women who have been so dedicated to training them.”

*names have been changed.

This article appeared in the Tarrangower Times, 18 February 2022.