The colts are being trained for border patrol, and in the process are training prisoners. For some of these men, it is the first time they have been up close with a creature bigger than a goldfish. Many of the characteristics that kept them alive on the street have no place here. Revenge, threats, manipulation, deceit hold no sway with a thousand pounds of hooves and power.
The
director of the program morphed from a narcotics detective to a pastor to horse trainer. He hand picks the inmates and oversees their work.
The recidivism rate for released prisoners is zero.
Patterns that are entrenched in the lives of convicted felons are learned. They were not born choosing violence. Apparently those patterns can be unlearned as well.
Most of us on the outside have mastered a mix of
both helpful and unhelpful tactics in the pursuit of what we want. We waffle between listening, and screaming, empathy and blame.
Maybe we can learn how to escape bars of our own making.
