A new program gives both injured wildlife and prison inmates a chance to get back on their feet. At the New England Wildlife Center in Massachusetts, inmates are feeding injured ducks, building cages for foxes and tending to raccoons.
"Not only did it sharpen my skills as a carpenter, it made me believe in myself," inmate Kenny Wallace tells WBZ4.
Rehabilitation program pairs inmates with animals
As part of the seven-week pilot program, Lionel, who is serving a two-and-a-half year sentence for assault, nurses mallards back to health. "You're not an inmate when you're here. It's like a regular day at work," he says. "You just go about your business."
The program is worth its $22,000 price tag, says Sheriff Michael Belloti. "It hopefully bridges that gap from jail to the real world," the sheriff says.
One inmate enjoyed the program so much that, upon his release, he's returning to the wildlife center -- this time, as a volunteer.
