Abstract
Historically, humans and animals have always had special physical and emotional connections. Currently, animals are being incorporated more frequently in therapeutic settings that utilize different psychotherapy approaches. Due to the increase of use, animal-assisted therapy is becoming better known and used across different populations. However, little is known about the value of incorporating animal-assisted therapy within a prison population. Both male and female inmates have high rates of psychiatric disorders and symptoms, such as, depression, anxiety, and substance use disorders. The present study investigated the effects of therapy dog interaction among female prisoners at the Adult Correctional Institute (ACI) in Rhode Island. A therapy dog was incorporated into two weekly group therapy sessions tailored to the discussion of practicing mindfulness and setting clear boundaries with others. We evaluated pre and post measures of perceived stress, empathy, and attitudes towards the group therapist, hypothesizing that the participants would experience a reduction in perceived stress and an increase in levels of empathy and positive attitude towards the therapist. Fourteen participants were recruited and participated in the study. Results indicate that participants did indeed report reduced amounts of stress, increased empathy towards others, and more positive attitudes towards their group therapist and therapy sessions, which indicates support for the hypotheses. There is a clear need for animal-assisted therapy programs in female prison populations as it has shown to reduce stress and raise empathy while also making the therapy sessions more engaging and increasing the bond between the therapist and clients.