■ Peas and pups please prisoners
Inmates say participating in St. John Ambulance’s dog therapy program helps them cope
Andrew Parsons, minister of Justice and Public Safety and Attorney General, samples some peas that were picked by inmate Jenine Porter Thursday from one of the plants in the female inmates’ garden at Her Majesty’s Penitentiary in St. John’s. Growing the plants and tending to the garden are among the many activities prisoners participate in for therapy while serving time behind bars.
Steven Rumsey knows all too well about the emotional strain of being behind bars.
The 35-year-old has been in and out of jail for much of his life for a wide variety of crimes.
“It’s pretty stressful,” said Rumsey, who is serving a little over a year’s sentence at Her Majesty’s Penitentiary (HMP) for drug trafficking and a slew of thefts.
But once a month, Rumsey gets to forget about being locked up and his troubles with the law by getting to hang out with dogs.
He is one of several inmates participating in the St. John Ambulance dog therapy program. Introduced at HMP in April, the program offers prisoners a chance to interact with therapy dogs, which have been specially trained.
Rumsey said he enjoys it and is glad he signed up to participate.
“It just makes me think about normal things,” he told reporters Thursday during one of the sessions at HMP, where the media was invited to attend.
“It’s an escape from being in here.”
Rumsey was joined by fellow inmates Brandon Phillips, 29 — accused of first-degree murder and possessing drugs, including fentanyl — and Larry Barr, 22 — serving a two-years-less-aday sentence for two robberies and an assault.
As they sat with Rick Gagnon and Michelle Tarrant of St. John Ambulance in a small room at HMP, the men petted Portuguese water dog Roscoe, and Lux, a pit bull terrier mix, and fed them treats.
“He likes the attention … and he gets lots of treats,” said Gagnon, Roscoe’s handler, adding that the dogs also participate in therapy programs at seniors homes. “People respond very positively.”
Tarrant, Lux’s handler, said people find it easy to communicate with the animals, and added that she didn’t have any qualms about bringing them into a prison.
“It’s just a stress reliever for everyone,” she said. “I was excited (coming here) because I felt like, with the type of dog she is, the boys would really enjoy her.”
Susan Green, a social worker at the HMP, said the dog program has proven to be beneficial for inmates, who often feel lonely being away from their families.
“The penitentiary, for all of our problems and some of the things you see in the media, we are a community and we find ways within our walls to connect to one another and with the outside community,” Green said.
“The dogs provide a really lovely natural connection, nonjudgmental attention and affection, and that’s something we all need.”
Justice Minister Andrew Parsons said he wanted to be there to see first hand how the program is helping inmates.
“When you talk about being inside, punishment is not the only principle in sentencing. Rehabilitation is also important. I’m a very strong supporter of that,” Parsons said. “So, I’m just happy to be down here and see this myself.”
The dogs also visited inmates in the women’s unit, where the women were also delighted by the visit.
The female prisoners were then eager to show reporters and Parsons their outside garden, where they’ve grown plants, flowers and vegetables.
“Try these,” Jenine Porter said proudly, handing a pod of peas from one of the plants to Parsons, who seemed pleasantly surprised by the sweet taste.
“There’s lots more here, too. I love it out here. It really makes me feel good.”