Having a dog is something you might take for granted. But it's a privilege for some Oklahoma prisoners. A unique program is allowing them to train dogs for the good of society.
Channel 8's Kim Jackson went behind bars to show you the program.
She's black, sleek, and luxurious, named after the car, Lexus. This pup has learned new tricks at the hands of a convicted killer.
"Evil, a monster or something, but I'm not. I am a human being. I made a mistake in my life and I'm meaning to change that," said Darryl Davis, who is serving a life sentence for killing someone.
But now he and others are saving dogs that were headed to early graves in shelters.
"I'm not in this to get parole or nothing like that. I'm in it to save a dogs life," he said.
The program is called Freedom Dogs, behind the razored fence lines Cimarron Correctional Center.
Here, inmates train with and live with mutts and misfits, given a second chance.
"The men learn teamwork, compassion, how to give and receive unconditional love, how to be successful and part of a team," said Colleen Crummy, who helped start the program.
The organizers take dogs from shelter that kill. Once a week they train cell mates who partner and care for a temporary best friend.
The goal is to train these dogs to become service dogs for injured veterans.
"The dogs have great leash manners. They can sit stay come, all of those basic skills," said Crummy.
But they are not ready to be service dogs. They're still learning and so are their handlers, learning how to give positive reinforcement and consequences.
"She thinks she is tough," said Diontay Perry, a convicted robber who has served 10 years already. He adopted Lexus for his own family back home.
A crook and a killer-- have learned a new patience and something little Lexus never had before. unconditional love.
"I do love her kiss. Yes I do. "
Lexus only has a few more weeks of training and then she will be gone graduating. New pups will be on the way.
