Horse therapy being offered for inmates at Her Majesty's Penitentiary

Some inmates at Her Majesty's Penitentiary in St. John's and the Clarenville Correctional Centre are getting a dose of horse therapy this fall a first for Canadian prisons, according to organizers.

The Spirit Horse program, which began at HMP and in Clarenville this summer, aims to offer inmates with mental health strugglessupport and encouragement through hands-on interaction with the animals.

It's an outdoor activity that eight people are able to enjoy each week on the grounds of the prison, and so far, says program co-ordinator Erin Gallant, it's been paying off.

"The first thing that happens is they just are so excited to interact with the horses," said Gallant on Monday outside HMP.

"A lot of people think that they're coming to learn about horses and horse skills, but what they end up learning about is themselves, and they don't even quite understand in the beginning how that's going to happen"

No judgment zone

Horses aren't judgmental, said Gallant, and they bring a blank slate to their interactions with the inmates.

"What happens is the horse lives in the moment. It is who it is all the time," she said.

"It doesn't judge, and here we are inside a prison, so it's nice not to be judged and there is no hierarchy."

One downside to the program is that only eight people can participate in each session, which typically spans eight weeks, but Gallant is hoping to see the program expand in the future.

Four prison deaths in last year

Mental health care in Newfoundland and Labrador prisons has been on the minds of many in the wake of the deaths of inmates Samantha Piercey, Chris Sutton, Doug Neary and Skye Martinbetween August2017 and July 2018.

An independent review of their deaths is ongoing, and Justice Minister Andrew Parsons says the province is constantly looking at ways to improve therapeutic options at HMP.

"This is something that was completely their concept, and we were just happy to allow it," said Parsons.

"It was the first of its kind in Canada that we were aware of, but I'm supportive of anything new and different that we think is going to help the individuals in here."

Parsons says the prisons also welcome therapy dogs, and he is interested in supporting any activity that could aid in rehabilitation, even though finding the money is sometimes difficult.

"The challenge that we always have is finding different ways and more ways to allow for more therapy and therapeutic measures here because, at the end of the day, these individuals that are here, when they go back we need to do our best to help them rehabilitate and reintegrate into society."

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