Canines in Correctional Facilities
There are a multitude of ways that canines could be utilized in correctional facilities to assist officers. Canines can be trained to detect various objects, they can be trained to be effective in patrolling and crowd control with officers, they can be invaluable to officer welfare, and they can even be used in a number of ways to occupy inmates in order to reduce the likelihood of their acting up. The costs required to create and maintain a canine unit are varied and costly, but they are also lower than alternatives and are trivial when compared to the many advantages that a properly trained and maintained canine unit can bring to a facility.
Training options
Contraband detection
Canines can be trained…show more content… They are an extremely useful tool for an officer to have in their arsenal for the use of force continuum. The threat of canine deployment can get an inmate to comply to officer commands before a Taser will and before more dangerous means are needed. (cite?) A canine can also be let into an unruly, uncooperative inmate’s cell in order to occupy if not subdue them before the officers go inside to finish the job. This is safer for both the officers and the inmate. Often the inmates will comply as soon as they hear the canine officer barking. Having canine patrols through the compound can have a very beneficial effect on inmate’s and officer’s perceptions of safety as seen in table one. As well as the other officers who are not handlers perceptions of their job safety and how hazardous they perceive their job to be as seen in table two. (Bodnar, 2006) People feel…show more content… A single canine is thought to be about $7500, including the cost of the canine itself as well as its training and the training of the officer that will be partnered with the canine. (cite) After the initial costs of getting a canine and training of both individuals, the department will need to consider the ongoing costs and the facilities and equipment needed to actually do the training. Depending on how big the department wants to start, a kennel might be needed to house and train the canines; a secluded space will certainly be needed. A trainer will need to be brought in and, depending on whether they are staying permanently or not, will need some sort of