Horses who 'don't judge' and other tools to prepare prisoners for life on the outside

Theperimeter of the gym at Her Majesty's Penitentiary in St. John's looked like a job fair on Wednesday,with over a dozen plastic tables, colourful poster displays and smiling faces readyto pitch their offerings.

But to get to prospective clients, outsiders had tosurrender cell phones at the gate, be escorted through several layers of locked doors and fences, and be grateful they get to leave. Prison is an unpleasant place.

Thefair inside the penitentiary wasfor the 158 inmates awaiting their inevitable return to society. Instead of jobs, each display promoted a support service to help convicts become law-abiding citizens.

It's the second year the Offender Services Information Fair has been brought behind bars, organized by the John Howard Society, one of the groups that workwith people who conflict with the law.

"There are so many people in this institution who do not want to return," said Cindy Murphy, the society's executive director.

"They have very good intentions, but they don't have the plan in place to help them make changes in their life."

The people sitting at each table want to help inmatesdevelop a plan. They know the downfalls, and the pitfalls, that landed theprisoners in debt to society.

Addiction, trauma, mental instability, poverty, unemployment, a lack of education are familiar burdens within these walls.

"What's really needed is a continuity of care," said Dan McGettigan, director of Turnings, a program designed to help former inmates adjust to life outside prison.

"We're all going in the one direction, which is public safety. But the offenders need to buy into it, be responsible, they need the support."

Using horses as therapy

And sometimes that support can be as simple as a bond with a horse.

Thegreatest thing about horses is that they don't judge.- Erin Gallant

Erin Gallant is program director of Stable Life, a mental health program similar to dog therapy, but with horses.

"The greatest thing about horses is that they don't judge," she said.

The program has been in place for four years, providing therapy for adults and children with mental health issues, but this is the first time it has tried recruiting former prisoners.

Gallant believes it's a great fit.

"[Horses] teach us skills that are life skills," she said. "We learn in the barn, so we can learn things about hard work and dedication, compassion, getting a routine started again, how to interact with others."

Stable Life is not only hoping to entice former prisoners to its program, it also wants to establish a mobile service that brings ahorse inside Her Majesty's Penitentiary for therapeutic visits.

An alternative approach, along with the traditional organizations,all trying to solve the complex puzzle of prisoner rehabilitation and reintegration.