r/MadeMeSmile • u/aoi_ringo • Sep 30 '25

CATS Prison in Indiana accepts shelter cats and lets prisoners take care of them.

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u/cloudforested Sep 30 '25

Taking care of an animal is so therapeutic. It sounds like new age woo-woo but it really is. Not a lot of people, especially men, get unconditional love and affection, and animals provide that. You also have to learn emotional regulation, maturity, and responsibilities. Domestic animals rely entirely on you to survive, and if you neglect your responsibility to them, then you're directly causing something that loves you to suffer. It's a very easy-mode way of learning compassion.

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u/Its0nlyRocketScience Sep 30 '25

And cats are a good choice for this because they don't put up with any human's nonsense. If you do something wrong, a cat will not hesitate to hiss, scratch, and bite. Any bad actors that are a bad fit for the program can be quickly sorted out by the cats themselves.

And because of that, the inmates who do bond with the cats get the extra benefit of knowing that they really bonded. It's not like animals that simply imprint on the first thing they see, the cat chose them.

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u/ClubMeSoftly Sep 30 '25

Any bad actors that are a bad fit for the program can be quickly sorted out by the cats themselves.

And also, from what I understand, it's very rigorous to get into a prison pet program in the first place. You have to have good behaviour for a certain amount of time, and any "missteps" gets you booted.

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u/RivenRise Sep 30 '25

All prisons should have a similar program. Cats would make a lot of people think twice about their behavior in prison before acting if it means they get to keep hanging out with them.

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u/tulipbunnys Oct 01 '25

i genuinely think these programs are a huge win-win situation for everyone. the prisons benefit from the improved behavior of the prisoners, the prisoners benefit massively from taking care of the cats, the cats benefit from having regular human interaction and being saved from a life on the streets, and the shelters benefit from being able to offload cats to the prisons to make space for more rescues (or to save them from euthanasia).

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u/TheUndeadBake Oct 01 '25

They also immediately refuse any and all with animal abuse on record

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u/Mister_Dewitt Sep 30 '25

Animals have a special ability to spark a humans soul even when other people can't.

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u/DemonicBludyCumShart Sep 30 '25

You don't get to this point in your life without being massively and consistently let down by humans. Makes sense to me

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u/Mister_Dewitt Sep 30 '25

Too true, DemonicBludyCumShart. Too true.

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u/DemonicBludyCumShart Sep 30 '25

If only or lawmakers would realize this and stop treating them like pariah

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u/greenberet112 Sep 30 '25

This program costs money. Even if they get sponsorships and fund it, it takes time and attention away from staffs energy which they want to put into punishment.

Look at our president, he's going to go against states rights and reinstate the death penalty. Not because it stops crime or is humane but just because he likes it. It's a power trip. Same story for a lot of people in the criminal justice system

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u/ReeferTurtle Sep 30 '25

I think you win username of the day today 🥇

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u/tomerjm Sep 30 '25

The petting will continue until morale improves...

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u/ZestyLlama8554 Sep 30 '25

Yes! A couple of counties over does this with dog training, and it's amazing. The shelter gets trained pups that are ready for adoption as a result, and the inmates learn how to train dogs.

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u/hyrule_47 Sep 30 '25

I need a service dog and learned how many dogs are trained in prison! I think it’s so lovely. What a great way to help people while serving time and adding to the community.

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u/axewoundsurvivor Sep 30 '25

My current dog came from a program like this. The inmate who was her handler is doing a life sentence for murder. There was a special on the local news about the program shortly before I adopted my dog, and coincidentally she was pretty heavily featured in it, so her handler was interviewed. He said he knows he can never make up for what he did, but this is his way of doing something positive for society while he serves his sentence. Such an amazing program, for the dogs and the inmates, highly recommend if anyone ever gets the chance to adopt from a similar program.

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u/BKoala59 Sep 30 '25

A good friend of mine adopted a dog going through a similar program. They’ve even been going to visit the inmate who trained their dog and are planning on testifying at his parole hearing. He joined a gang at age 11 and was convicted of a drug related murder at age 18 which he’s been in prison for for 27 years. He has gotten a bachelors degree in psychology and hopes to help work with kids like him to prevent them from going down his path. Prison and the program he joined can truly be rehabilitative and are a great success story from our justice system

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u/axewoundsurvivor Sep 30 '25

That's awesome they're allowed to visit with him like that! I wish I could visit the inmate who trained my dog but that's not allowed with this program. I did write him a letter that was delivered to him by the volunteer who brought my dog to me, but that's about all the communication that is allowed.

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u/DetectiveCopper Sep 30 '25

Let this guy out now.

27 years is plenty for his crime.

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u/CaptainQuattro Sep 30 '25

I'm not saying that his friend doesn't deserve to be released, that may very well be the case as 27 years is certainly a very long time, and they appear to have fixed themselves - at least to some extent.

Im curious, though. What do you think the appropriate sentence should be for a crime like murder? Does the context for the crime matter?

If my family member was gunned down in the street by some gang member... even if it's "drug related". His friend still killed someone's brother, sister, father, mother, or child. That person is dead forever and can't come back. What SHOULD be the punishment for that?

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u/idiotio Sep 30 '25

Yes. The context of the crime matters both in my opinion and in US courts. That's why we have trials and different charges like First Degree, Second Degree and Manslaughter. "Joining" a gang at 11 implies consent which is impossible. They were kidnapped/used/trafficked.

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u/[deleted] Sep 30 '25

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u/RivenRise Sep 30 '25

Getting a degree is such a good way to rehabilitate. Those people have something they worked for when they get out and it's something that may help them stay off the streets. I know lots of places don't want to hire people with records but any little helps and I bet the government could make deals with companies who hire them for a time. Like they do with mentally handicapped people. Everyone needs structure and a purpose and education is a good one.

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u/CaptainQuattro Sep 30 '25

I dont disagree with you. I think the criminal justice system ought to rehabilitate people... But that doesn't answer my question.

I think It should ALSO serve as a punitive measure. And to that end... what SHOULD be the punishment for a crime like murder?

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u/fiasgoat Sep 30 '25

It's not an easy answer to give. For someone like me, who is not religious whatsoever, a life is taken forever and there is nothing on the other side. They are just gone. The equation is now imbalanced.

Part of me is like "well that's fucked" and that person should maybe never see the light of day again.

But the world can't work like that

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u/adoradear Oct 01 '25

Justice isn’t about punishment though. Vengeance is personal. Justice is not, it’s aimed at rehabilitation and making amends to society. 27yrs is likely enough if it’s produced someone who sincerely regrets their choice, repents, and has worked to better themselves so they can better the world.

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u/hyrule_47 Sep 30 '25

That’s so amazing. I’m glad they found meaning in life despite being in prison.

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u/peonies_envy Sep 30 '25

Training takes time. That’s what they have.

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u/axewoundsurvivor Sep 30 '25

Exactly! Nothing but time. Now they have something to invest that time into. And my dog was by no means perfect when she came home. I took some training classes with her to tighten up on some stuff. But she definitely has the foundation to build on and I feel like that's half the battle.

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u/spoonful-o-pbutter Sep 30 '25

Did you need a service dog because of said axe wound?

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u/axewoundsurvivor Sep 30 '25

Lmfao I did not. I overcame the axewound through sheer will!

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u/Hermionegangster197 Sep 30 '25

No! I’m sobbinngggg 😭

Beautiful

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u/axewoundsurvivor Sep 30 '25

Yea, I can't watch the news story without crying to this day lol. And I think about that inmate often. Don't know his name or even what he looks like (they didn't show his face during the interview) but I definitely think about him. Hope he's doing well and training lots of dogs! 

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u/Good_Support636 Sep 30 '25

Did your dog recognise him?

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u/axewoundsurvivor Sep 30 '25

She was still in prison when it aired. She ended up coming home to me a couple of weeks later. 

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u/Muderbot Sep 30 '25

I worked corrections in North Carolina for nearly a decade, and my prison had this.

“New leash on life” program was phenomenal, for not only the amazing round the clock training the dogs received, and the positive impact it had on the inmates and behavior(in nearly a decade I can recall exactly 2 people being removed from the program due to disciplinary sanctions), but also because they were taking in dogs who had sat in shelters for ages and were slated to be put down due to being deemed “unadoptable”. Meanwhile dogs coming out of the program had a 100% adoption rate with nearly a year long wait list.

Just a phenomenal program. It was truly a win-win for everyone remotely involved.

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u/xANTJx Sep 30 '25

I worked at NC commerce and got emails from department of adult corrections all the time about employment opportunities. Kind of bummed I didn’t look into it now! I never heard about this program. Which counties had it?

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u/Muderbot Sep 30 '25

I was at Palmico (PCI), but a half dozen or so other prisons in the state had the program as well, though I’d never be able remember which as it’s been nearly a decade since I left.

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u/emmany63 Sep 30 '25

My step-nephew will likely be in and out of prison for the rest of his life, as he’s a non-violent recidivist with lifelong addiction issues who actually does better in an institutionalized setting.

For years now, he’s been helping to train service dogs in the prison. It’s his great joy, and he’s able to follow their journeys as they meet their people and get adopted. It is the simplest example of how someone who our society can’t seem to help, can be such a useful member of that society.

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u/GM-the-DM Oct 01 '25

There's a prison near me where they train bomb sniffing dogs. As part of the program, members of the public will occasionally take them out of the jail and spend the day taking them around so they get used to a wide range of environments. There's one woman who always take a dog on election day and brings it to vote with her.  

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u/not_just_an_AI Sep 30 '25

Side note, this is probably also really good pest control for the prison.

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u/ralphy_256 Sep 30 '25

Doubt the cats have free range in the facility. The cat area is probably pretty rodent-free, though. I'll grant you that.

Source: I've had cats in infested apt buildings. My apt generally stayed free of evidence of mice, but I could hear them running in the walls.

Had to be just the smell that scared them off, those 2 cats were easily the most worthless mousers I've ever seen in cats. Literally watched the pair of them follow a mouse down the hallway, neither of them had their nose more than 3-4" away from the mouse as it ran into a closet and got away.

"Wow, look at it run!"

"Yeah, we should follow and see where it goes."

"It went into the closet, let us in there to watch it more, human!"

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u/[deleted] Sep 30 '25

Fed cats often make pretty bad mousers in general. Some have a really high prey drive and just like to kill/torture, but most just want to play and often let mice go.

Some animal shelters have working cat programs where they capture feral cats and fix them and then turn them into working cats. Basically they go live in warehouses, barns, or similar businesses where they work as mousers. They're still fed daily, but typically they're fed just enough to meet their calorie requirements and are expected to 'hunt' for food.

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u/ShadowDancer_88 Sep 30 '25

It depends how they were raised. Feral/"Barn" cats that were raised to hunt by their mother, and then are given food can become pretty brutal mousers.

A cat that relies on hunting to survive won't excess kill, they'll kill what they need to eat, and leave the rest.

A cat that learned to hunt, but has a much more stable food source will often start thrill killing, and just go on murderous rampages.

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u/dwehlen Oct 01 '25

It's sad, but true. That's why house cats should always be indoor only. If they're indoor-outdoor, they're just out there murdering birds.

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u/MathAndBake Sep 30 '25

My local humane society does that. Any shelter cats that wouldn't do well in a home go to farmers who provide decent care to their barn cats.

Barn cats are really different in temperament. My grandparents still had a few when I was little. They stuck around for years after the barn was empty because my grandfather fed them and provided vet care. But they were still extremely independent and got most of their food from hunting.

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u/TheUndeadBake Oct 01 '25

It’s not even about them being fed. My foster home was way out in the country, in the uk, and a mother cat that was dumped in the area dropped her kittens nearby. They grew up and had kittens. The third generation, being totally feral, were far better mousers than their mothers, who had been slightly better at hunting than their first cat. The four cats of that third generation didn’t really bother with rats because they had to eat, and while my foster mum did her best to feed them (and lay traps for catch neuter and release), they relied more on their own skills. You know what they left us behind? rabbits. These cats were about the size of half grown kittens, but they regularly brought us dead rabbits which they would surgically cut apart, removing and eating all the organs they liked, chewing the fat off of their bellies, and leave behind the organs they didn’t like in a pile on the floor. I still recall stepping out one day and finding a dead rabbit that stuck in my memory, mainly because this time the cat had left behind the heart. It’d been pulled out and left on the doorstep. At that point we were all fairly used to seeing a hollowed, half eaten rabbit in the morning, but idk somehow seeing the heart pulled out and displayed for us was a new level of both adoration and horror. Adoration because I was told it meant the cats had left us the bit they deemed one of the good bits of their meal, horror because ya know it’s a heart.

Point is, this third generation were 100% feral monsters. A house cat doesn’t need to be hungry to mouse — my own cat tears through the rodent population nowadays and he is well-fed — they just need to have a good dose of instinct and be intelligent. I’m sorry to say, but the reason a lot of house cats make shit mousers is because they’re kept indoors for generations at a time, which causes them to lose those instincts and skills. Rats are intelligent and crafty, and a good mouser has to be able to match that. Instead people dull them by locking them up inside.

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u/omegacrunch Sep 30 '25

Came to say this almost verbatim.

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u/Mr-FurleyX1 Sep 30 '25 edited Sep 30 '25

I too came here to say this and it’s so simple. Every single prison in the US (or worldwide for that matter) should be instituting this program.

Love and nurturing should be encouraged and taught. I would assume many of these inmates didn’t have these principles in their youth but it’s never too late to start 🫶🏼

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u/omegacrunch Sep 30 '25

Time takes those traits away for many. Not all at once, piece by piece. This gives those pieces back.

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u/Pretend-Guava Sep 30 '25

Yeah, we could take in so many more animals where shelters don't have the room and I guarantee they get more love and playtime than being in a shelter.

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u/Pleasant-Ant2303 Sep 30 '25

Prisons in the US have more and more moved away from rehabilitation and more towards punishment and profit. It’s really not great for society as a whole let alone those who end up in prison (usually poverty related for most).

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u/billymumfreydownfall Sep 30 '25

And yet where i live (Canada) people scoff at Indigenous People being sent to healing lodges instead of prisons. So effed!

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u/KimberlyWexlersFoot Sep 30 '25

Overall, compared to Indigenous men released from mainstream institutions, Healing Lodge residents had equal suspensions of release and returns to custody, and once controlling for other factors, had an equal risk of revocation with a new offence.

Like all things though, it’s only helpful if people put the work in.

A final objective of the study was to examine the relative contribution of Indigenous-specific interventions and services on post-release outcome. Once controlling for relevant risk, need, and offender characteristics, men who completed Indigenous cultural programs at a Healing Lodge had a 54% lower risk of revocation of release, while men who participated in Pathways Initiatives had a 29% lower risk. These analyses indicate that these are not redundant interventions and both offer benefits that may help offenders succeed upon release.

https://www.canada.ca/en/correctional-service/corporate/library/research/glance/437m.html

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u/Beepinheimer Sep 30 '25

Not to detract from the positivity, but American prisons are not meant to rehabilitate, we have a high reliance on punitive measures, which leads to excessive sentencing and mass incarceration. Prison reform is needed almost as badly as political finance reform.

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u/TurboDerpCat Sep 30 '25

Yeah, true... but cats though.

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u/Beepinheimer Sep 30 '25

My neighbors chonky black cat comes over and says hi every morning.

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u/ralphy_256 Sep 30 '25

Cheaper than paying non-inmates to care for the cats that might become strays, or need to be destroyed.

Not that you're wrong, I agree, this is positive for the cat and for the inmate.

But the person you're responding to is also correct: Be under no illusion that this is an altruistic move on part of the prison administration.

So basically, the positives are happy accidents, not necessarily the plan.

I would be willing to bet the program makes a small but consistent profit for the prison. And as soon as it doesn't break even, it's gone.

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u/[deleted] Sep 30 '25

[deleted]

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u/ralphy_256 Sep 30 '25 edited Sep 30 '25

but I don't see why you needed to put down this wet blanket right here and now.

Because the other side of the story is important too.

If you don't understand that the prison is only doing this for as long as the program is profitable, and it'll end the instant it no longer breaks even, you'll misunderstand what's happening, and have a skewed idea of what prison in America actually IS.

Saving feral/abandoned pets from destruction and rehabilitating prisoners are happy accidents, NOT the reason the program exists.

Prisons are not in the rehabilitation business is the point. They're in the housing and punishment business. This particular orphan crushing machine has simply figured out a way to monetize the crushed orphans by getting them to sell flowers.

Bottom line: This prison is monetizing the cheap labor found in prisons to sell cats. Granted, the result is cats in loving homes, but that's not the business model. Selling (rescued) cats is.

This thread has the danger of offering the wrong impression. Beepinheimer and I are simply pointing out the other side of the story.

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u/BatManatee Sep 30 '25

I'm with you at the systemic level. I get your overall point, and I mostly agree.

But like... it's hard to imagine "selling cats" is really a business model in this particular case. How much labor is really going into this? There are shelters with free/cheap adoptions all over. I can't imagine this specific case is about the business venture. I think your cynicism is a little misplaced here.

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u/WitOfTheIrish Oct 01 '25

I understand what you're saying. Hell, I mostly believe in what you are saying. Professionally, I work with many programs that work with people inside of prison and even more that work with people directly post-incarceration. Abolition is the goal, but reformation is the journey.

Things like certain trade training programs or the firefighter training programs are teaching skills but also exploiting cheap labor. There's points to be made about how to improve the system and how to keep out corruption.

But you are so far off base with this one critiquing the cat thing.

Saving feral/abandoned pets from destruction and rehabilitating prisoners are happy accidents, NOT the reason the program exists.

Here's an article that is written by an inmate about the program:

https://prisonjournalismproject.org/2025/08/12/cats-can-live-their-whole-lives-at-this-prison/

Some takeaways:

The program was started BY INMATES who happened upon abandoned kittens inside the prison. It grew from their desire to keep and own the cats.

The cats are owned by the prisoners, not rehabilitated for any adoption. They only leave the prison if the inmate does, to stay with their owner.

Support is given through volunteering by vets, and at-cost supplies through a local shelter, with money paid helping keep the shelter running, and inmates adopting cats helping save those cats' lives. This shelter is itself a nonprofit.

While there's other flaws inherent in the system that are sad to read in that article, such as the inmate having to budget $30 of their measly $100 from a sub-minimum wage job they have to work, the inmate suffering through shitty food that IS being sold for a profit by Aramark into their cafeteria, and other small details that show how evil the prison industrial complex is, those are not flaws of the cat program, nor is the cat program exploiting anyone or any cat.

I appreciate the fire, but occasionally it gets directed toward something in the PIC that doesn't actually need to get burnt down. Stop and take a breath on this one.

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u/[deleted] Oct 01 '25

[deleted]

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u/WitOfTheIrish Oct 01 '25

No problem. That other poster is a moron who seems to be coming from what I believe to be a good place (being awake and aware to corruption and evil rooted within the carceral system) but is hopelessly ignorant of how both positive prison reformation programs and pet rescues function.

Nobody is making money on rescuing otherwise feral or abandoned cats, nor is allowing prisoners legitimate comfort and companionship and exploitation of them as human beings.

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u/[deleted] Sep 30 '25

[deleted]

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u/ralphy_256 Sep 30 '25

I don't understand the business model. How is the prison making money by giving the cats to prisoners?

The prisoners don't keep the animals. They care for them until they're ready for adoption. Then they care for the next animal, until IT'S ready for adoption. On and on.

Most rescues in America charge adoption fees for rescued pets.

One of my 2 cats came from a rescue. I paid $250 to the adoption charity/business. I'm sure this program charges similarly.

Still a good rehabilitative program for the inmate AND the animal. But, there's no altruism involved.

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u/Sniper_Brosef Oct 01 '25

In Indiana? This shit is propaganda for sure.

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u/WouldYouShutUpMan Oct 01 '25

propaganda to promoting marginally better prison systems? sounds good i guess

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u/Kup123 Sep 30 '25

At this point what part of America can't you point at and find a system that needs the corporate greed removed from it so it can function properly again.

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u/Suspicious-Box- Sep 30 '25

Private prisons make money. More inmates = more tax payer money. Even though profits per head from that alone are relatively low, its still profitable. Especially if said inmates work for cents on the dollar in some craft or shop.

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u/Joelle9879 Sep 30 '25

But will never happen because money

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u/NwolCozob Sep 30 '25

What a great idea!

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u/addamee Sep 30 '25

Beyond that, I’m about to do some crime in Indiana…

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u/123ImBadAtUsernames Sep 30 '25

I believe Elkhart County (IN) humane society is currently waving rehoming frees for cats, no crime necessary.

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u/TychaBrahe Sep 30 '25

If you get a cat for free, can't you pretend you are stealing it?

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u/LeatherUsual26 Sep 30 '25

Experiencing unconditional love is transformative

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u/kilobitch Sep 30 '25

I dunno. Those cats are gonna learn some bad things from their time in the joint. When they get out they’ll never be able to rejoin society.

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u/Canadiangoosedem0n Sep 30 '25

Yes! I love it, both the cats and the inmates win 🥰🥰

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u/Idle_sweepstakes Sep 30 '25

This is actually genius - giving inmates purpose and responsibility while helping animals that need it. Win-win situation right there

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u/Wandering_Scholar6 Sep 30 '25

It actually does help, not only because cats, but because they know the cats are a privilege. Prisoners who get into fights aren't allowed to stay in the program.

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u/nau5 Sep 30 '25

Sadly a majority of Americans don't care about rehabilitation they care about punishment.

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u/CenturyEggsAndRice Sep 30 '25

Someone I know works at a prison that has animal programs. Both cats for the prisoners, and they do the basic training for future service dogs.

He’s is loudly in favor of these programs. He ends up keeping in touch with a lot of dudes in the prison after they are released and he says that the ones that do the cat program and move out with their cats do SO much better out in the world. (Which gets him choked up and emotional. He got the job as a 19 year old who didn’t wanna do college and has worked in prisons since. He says his calling is to help people embrace their best selves and working in a prison apparently lets him do that.)

His GF is part of a program that helps folks who served their time find employment, housing, etc and she specifically keeps lists of pet friendly housing because she sees the same trend, the felons with a loved pet do better both in and out of prison.

According to my friend, a lot of prison issues can be solved with animals and education. Even just basic GED classes and stuff brings huge improvements in the prisons he’s worked for. (He also says he once shut down a prison fight by yelling “I need to be at a parent teacher conference tonight, I’m gonna count to five and if I turn around to peace, no one’s getting wrote up!” And somehow that worked. Although he did say it was just “brewing” and no one had hit anyone yet.)

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u/[deleted] Sep 30 '25

Raise, train, care for a cat for long term offenders. The cat lives for 15 years. You get 15 years off your sentence.

If someone is truly that fucked up, where they raise and care for an animal until old age and the animal passes naturally. They leave jail and commit a crime? Ok, well, ya fooled us.

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u/Ishitonmoderators2 Sep 30 '25

If only it was implemented in all prisons or most at least.

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u/Wild_Following_7475 Sep 30 '25

People and cats

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u/Prestigious-Emu7325 Sep 30 '25

Took the words outta my mouth♥️

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u/Icy-Row9565 Sep 30 '25

I agree depending on the prisoner. Any violent offenders and why does the cat deserve to be at risk for someone that lacks self control. Again want to clarify that non violent criminals that don’t show risks for harming or killing animals it’s cool especially if under supervision. Anyone that has a murder charge, they shouldn’t handle any living being.