Trauma dog to offer calm to kids in JDC
GOSHEN — A therapy dog will be available for young inmates in Elkhart County under a one-year pilot program.
Ray Caples, director of Elkhart County Juvenile Court Services, introduced Jade to the county Board of Commissioners on Monday. The yellow Labrador is a facility therapy dog with Top Notch Service Dogs that will offer a bit of calm to kids in the juvenile detention center.
Jade has been in training as a therapy dog for several months, which involves obeying commands and a lot of sitting or lying still while being petted. Elkhart County JDAI believes service dogs can help mitigate the stress young people feel during detention by encouraging a more calm, stable and secure environment.
Courts Administrator Ross Maxwell said the trauma support dog is expected to reduce instances of young inmates acting out violently.
“As we all know, a lot of these young people have suffered trauma, and that’s contributing to why they’re there,” he said. “There’s some evidence from throughout the country and other places that have used this, and we think it will help the kids and cut down on some of the altercations that you have in the facility.”
Caples said Jade will be at the juvenile detention center whenever education specialist Wendy Potter is there. Under the pilot program, the goal is to make the dog available during weekday class sessions and special weekend events, as well as scheduling individual sessions for young people who would benefit from more services.
He said other educational or correctional facilities in the country that use trauma therapy dogs have seen a reduction in the use of force for restraint as well as fights and other behavior.
“Normally when you think about a canine within law enforcement or within a corrections setting, you’re thinking about a dog who is a narcotics dog, searching out for contraband and things like that. She is not that. The best way to describe Jade is, she’s a cuddle-puppy,” Caples said. “She is trained to meet with the kiddos and take their love and affection, and hold their negative energy.”
Initial funding to hire Jade came through a Juvenile Detention Alternative Initiative grant and a Juvenile Community Corrections grant, according to Maxwell. Another $2,000 to act as an emergency fund for vet bills came from a Data Action Mini Grant from the Source at Oaklawn.
JDAI may ask for additional funding to continue the program after seeing how the first year with Jade goes.