UK Dogs- During COVID: Prison officers take dogs to work to cut prisoners' stress

In England and Wales, dogs are helping ease prisoners' tensions because visits have been stopped during the pandemic. What a brilliant idea. *On a related note, I support "Puppies behind Bars" here in the U.S.- which is a program where prisoners in the U.S. train dogs to become service dogs.  Now, onto the BBC News story from the United Kingdom:

(Photo: All the dogs have to pass an assessment before they can go into the prison Credit: BBC NEWS) 

Covid: Dogs fill visiting void for Bridgend prisoners Prison officers take dogs to work to cut prisoners' stress 

BBC News, June 3, 2021 By Lucy Owen

Prisoners who found their visits suspended for several months because of the coronavirus pandemic have been able to fill the void of not seeing loved ones by spending time with the dogs of their prison officers. Officers at Parc Prison in Bridgend have been taking their pets to work to ease tension among inmates amid fears for prisoners' mental health.

Visits to prisons were suspended for months as the coronavirus pandemic hit and there were fears for inmates' mental health due to strict Covid restrictions.

At Parc Prison, Bridgend, officers said the dogs helped lighten the atmosphere. Lloyd, who has one year left on his sentence, said being with them helped him to "look forward". He said Rosco, who joins them at the prison store, was like one of the boys and went with them around the site. "It's just a reminder of what your life was like before and how it can be once you get out and it's nice not to have reminders of what you might have done, you're looking forward rather than looking back" he said.

,/p> Shirley-Ann Gates, a complex needs support worker, said prisoners are more relaxed when they see her support dog, Bella. The scheme, run by charity Pets as Therapy, was introduced at Parc at the start of the pandemic and is in place at 24 prisons across the UK.