We are back! After two years, false starts, and a lot of hard work, we were able to restart Pawsitive Change. It does indeed take a village for a program of this magnitude to move forward. Many don’t realize that it takes the cooperation of a team of people, including the backing of a rescue (Marley’s Mutts), CDCR staff, trainers that are willing to drive hours to very remote places, and a lot of planning. Prison is a huge machinery, with hundreds, if not thousands of people going in and out everyday. Since we go once a week into every prison, it is always a matter of negotiating our way in and making sure we cause as few ripples as possible in a very orderly environment. The start of a new program is always an experience in patience, negotiating, frustration and joy. Change is hard. Change is a lot harder in a hardened place. Prisons are hardened places.
It should come as no surprise, that there is very little trust in an environment like that. Communication is key, since any tiny misstep can lead to the cancelation of the program in a particular prison. So we work harder, we are tenacious, we are incredibly driven and that makes all the difference. From Wardens that take away any impediment to the program’s success, to captains that try to bend as far as they can, in order for the inmates in their yard to have a chance of a better way of living. To correctional officers that go above and beyond in order for the program to succeed. It is so inspiring to see what a “small group of thoughtful, committed citizens” can do. That is the reason I am so incredibly proud of having cofounded this program. It not only changes lives, but it also teaches us that the status quo need not to be a given. That we do indeed, have the power to make small changes in our surroundings. It will never be easy, but if it truly is important to us, we will try.
Our newest program is locate in Tehachapi, we have been trying for years to get it started. Now, fingers crossed, it’s finally on its way. First days are always exciting, the inmates are so eager to be with the dogs that they barely acknowledge that we are there. As long as they get to pet dogs, something that some of them have not done in decades, they will be in class and do whatever is asked of them. However, first days are also where the tweaking and adjustments have to be made. That, in of itself, is an incredible lesson in compromise and working as a pack. Last week, while some in the team taught class, others met with the prison staff in order to iron out all the problems that come from having a new program that collides with courses already in existence. In prison, change happens very slowly and each step comes with its own set of tribulations.
In spite of all that, I wouldn’t change any of it. Pawsitive Change is a thing of beauty. When the team is there, we are the best version of ourselves. We are invariably greeted in the yard with cheers and hollers aimed at the dogs. The energy is electric. And, as always, the dogs feel it. For the first two weeks of the program, we take in demo dogs – these are trustworthy pups that help us teach the basics of leash handling, how to behave inside a crate, how to respect rules and boundaries. Nevertheless, it is hard to get the inmates to pay attention in the first class. They are all in awe of being able to have pups in prison. It feels good being able to add such sensibilities in a hardened place. More importantly, it is such a marvelous experience to have a group of people, working together, beating the odds and moving towards a shared goal. We can make a difference, we are making a difference and we will continue to make a difference by agreeing to cooperate and combine forces. By setting an intention and working to get it done. The men that have completed this program and have been released have a 0% recidivism rate. That alone is something that I will cherish and speak about for as long as I live.
It feels good to be back. Yes, there are many roadblocks, a lot of missteps and mistakes. Yes, there are a lot of things that could be better. But also true is the fact that we are a team of people, with a pack of dogs, going in to an environment with the intention of spreading knowledge and compassion. All of us have a shared mission, the one of giving back and being grateful for what we have gotten. Thank you to all that make this dream a reality including Zack Skow, Will Mechelin, Robert Villaneda, Sharon Johnson, Captain Ortiz, Captain Garcia, all Marley Mutts staff and volunteers, all CDCR staff that is working to make this program what is. I will be eternally in your debt for having transformed my dream into a reality.
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