By Catherine M. Welch
Wilmington, NC – Inmates at the Kershaw Correctional Institution in Kershaw, South Carolina are training service dogs to help the handicapped and children with autism.
Working with dog handlers, the inmates are showing Labrador retrievers how to turn on a light switch and pick a phone up off the ground.
South Carolina Department of Corrections spokesperson Josh Gelinas says to qualify, inmates must have a record of good behavior, which makes it a win-win for both inmates and those needing a service dog.
"By bringing the dogs in and allowing the inmates to train them, they're able to train more dogs and help more individuals who need it."
Gelinas says inmates spend a year with the dogs before the dogs are placed in a home.
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