Watch: Canine CellMates saves dogs -- and more
By HLN Staff Tuesday, December 17, 2013
Canine CellMates, based in Fulton County, Georgia is having a huge impact on the local jail. Dogs who otherwise would be euthanized are paired with inmates so both of them have the opportunity to "get out on good behavior." The program's founder, Susan Jacobs-Meadows, started Canine CellMates to save dogs; she didn't realize how much she would fall in love with helping the inmates. Now, she is taking her passion for rescue to a whole new level.
You may have heard about a photography exhibit that was displayed on the Atlanta Beltline recently, in which images of the Canine CellMates program, taken by photographer Kelly Kline, were prominantly displayed and publicly removed. This is the statement issued today jointly by Canine CellMates and Kelly Kline that addresses our position on these events:
The images of the Canine CellMates program recently removed from the Atlanta Beltline were intended to highlight a positive rehabilitation program within the Fulton County Jail. The anger over these images is misdirected and those seeking to ban the images are misinformed. The Canine CellMates mission statement, "Utilizing Shelter Dogs to Change the Lives of Incarcerated Men," is the core of our program. We are on the front lines, working every day to counteract the problem of recidivism. We are helping men affected by incarceration change their lives in positive ways, so that they can return to the community as productive citizens.
The demographic disparity of that wider population need not - we feel - ever be whispered about or concealed in any way by anyone. We only see incarcerated men who need a second chance at life. We see men with the potential to become good citizens and loving fathers. READ MORE CLICK HERE
Who rescues whom in this prison dog training program?
USA TODAY NETWORK Elissa Koehl, USA TODAY September 4, 2014
Inmates in jail and dogs about to be euthanized don't typically cross paths. But at the Atlanta Fulton County Jail, inmates and dogs, both destined for a difficult road ahead, are finding love and compassion in one another. Read Full Article
Doing Good: Jail program tranforms inmates, helps find homes for rescued dogs
Devika Rao For the Atlanta Journal Constitution Monday, July 8, 2013
Susan Jacobs-Meadows had always wanted to find a way to help animals when she discovered a way to help people in the process.
In January 2012, she started Canine CellMates and began to develop a program that would be dedicated to reducing recidivism and improving the lives of inmates while saving dogs from euthanasia. After 18 months of working with Fulton County and the community, the program officially launched on June 3 at the Fulton County Jail.
Published on Nov 6, 2015
Five Prisons Improving Life on the Inside.
March 14, 2014 Marcus Harrison Green / Yes Magazine
From Canine CellMates to computer training,
prisons across the country are finding small ways
to make life behind bars better for inmates. More
than 100 inmates have participated in the Canine
CellMates program at the Fulton County Jail. It's
"extremely rare" for an inmate to reoffend after
completing the program, says the coordinator.
Read Full Article
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Canine CellMates offers prisoners and shelter dogs a second chance June 5, 2015 Emma Lacey-Bordeaux
During the mutually beneficial program, inmates care for dogs and teach them obedience skills. Read Full Article
Canine CellMates Cycle 13 Graduation appears on 11Alive News
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Canine CellMates: How dog and inmates save each other! June 29, 2015 Hanna Gondola / The Daily Share
In 2013, about 40% of dogs brought to Fulton County, Georgia, pounds were put down. Susan Jacobs-Meadows wanted to do something about it. Inspired by similar programs in other cities, she founded Canine CellMates. The idea behind the 10-week program is to pair a dog about to be euthanized with a nonviolent inmate who is about to join the outside world. Read Full Article
Photo by Kelly Kline
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CANINES AND CONTROVERSY... THE BELTLINE ART SHAKE UP
Canine CellMates in Atlanta pairs shelter dogs with inmates for training and bonding while dogs await adoption.