ABSTRACT

“Tough on crime” policy in the United States in the late 20th century was found to lead to the phenomenon of mass incarceration without meaningfully reducing crime rates or recidivism. By the late 1990s, most jurisdictions had begun shifting back to an emphasis on prisoner rehabilitation: the attempt to use time spent incarcerated to restore prisoners to “useful citizenry.” To this day, however, efforts to rehabilitate prisoners are often mere PR spin and lip service in correctional institutions throughout the country.

This Article draws on the firsthand experience of its author, a person in custody writer, to explore the rehabilitative potential of inmate–animal interactions. It argues that programs geared toward providing opportunities for these interactions represent a safe, underutilized, and empirically supported approach to prison reform. Research in the fields of criminology, psychology, sociology, and public health, as well as the author’s anecdotal exposure to informal human–animal relationships while incarcerated, suggest that animal-assisted interventions can bolster contemporary rehabilitation efforts. Tangible benefits include reduced recidivism, improved emotional regulation, decreased institutional violence, and enhanced vocational outcomes. The Article concludes that inmate–animal programming is worthy of broader consideration as a durable and humane reform strategy.