Pallade Veneta - Puppy love as Czech prison inmates train assistance dogs

The training is part of a project to help inmates at the Jirice prison northeast of Prague be better prepared for life outside jail.

"It certainly helps you mentally and you learn to be responsible, taking care of somebody else," said 34-year-old Hejny, serving time in the open prison for drug dealing and human trafficking.

Twenty-nine of Jirice's 800 inmates live in houses without bars, the only such establishment in the Czech Republic. The prison opened in 2017, inspired by the system in Norway, which puts a strong emphasis on rehabilitation.

Carefully selected inmates also take care of other animals including a llama and two kangaroos, as well as work in the garden.

"The animals fit our concept of boosting the work habits of the inmates," Roman Farkas, a special educator at Jirice, told AFP, standing by the prison's small football pitch.

"They also serve as a therapeutic element... as an anti-stress programme," he told AFP.

While the Czech recidivism rate for released convicts touches 70 percent, in Jirice's open prison it is only 17.2 percent.

- 'Quite a devil' -

On a chilly, foggy morning, Hejny and Kolar have put the two-month-old Labrador Retriever pups on a leash and separate them to show what they have learned since they arrived on November 1.

The dogs -- who are brothers -- stay with the inmates most of the time.While Hejny's pup Zeus can sit and give the paw, Zirkon sniffs around, wagging his tail happily.

"He's quite a devil and it's going to be tough," said Kolar, cuddling the dog as he sat on a bed in the prison house.

"Care of the puppies makes us happy -- we are not lonely, because we have someone here," added the 31-year-old, who was jailed for drug dealing and theft.

"In prison, you meet people you don't want to be with, but you have to meet them. But you always want to be with a dog, right?"

Jirice's inmates have so far brought up 12 dogs. After a year, the prison sends them back to an organisation which hands them over to people with visual impairments.

- 'Ill buy a puppy when I'm out' -

"The project is designed to socialise the puppies, to teach them to like people and get acquainted with the world around them," said Farkas.

The inmates take the dogs to Prague to let them try out the metro, escalators or shopping malls to help them get used to the hustle and bustle of the city.

Farkas said the coaches did not need a guard: "We expect them never to abuse the freedom."

The prison selects dog trainers for the "Paw in the Palm" project, inspired by a similar project in the United States, after assessing their profiles, with previous experience being a plus.

Zirkon is the second dog trained by Kolar, who said he always loved animals.

"I will leave together with Zirkon, in October 2025," he said.

Hejny, who has 14 months to serve, will hand over Zeus two months before his own release.

"They will take Zeus away after a year and I will definitely be sad," he said.

"So I will buy a puppy when I get out."

M.Jacobucci--PV