Even the hardest of the hard have a heart when it comes to the caring for cats or is it the other way around where the four legged cats are taking care of the two legged cats?

It is a very strange relationship in this Indiana prison where the inmates have pet cats that live with them. The cats are considered family by the prisoners. The bond between the cats and their owners is astounding.

It seems that they have a mutual need for one another. The inmates feed and care for the cats and the cats care for the mental state of their owners. Needless to say, the inmate cats are getting the better part of the bargain.

This arrangement has worked out very well for all concerned. The cats, the prisoners and the prison. The incidents of violence have been cut dramatically because of their furry little friends.  If in fact a prisoner would get out of line and get thrown into solitary confinement, there would be no one to care for his pal. That incentive alone has been enough to keep the compounds relatively quiet.

Surprisingly enough there are many prisons in the USA that allows their guests to have pets. In doing so it has a calming effect on the inmates, gives them a purpose and they tend to behave much better than prisons without such programs. I think it is a great idea. Whatever it takes to keep the peace.

Another additional benefit of having the felines around; it keeps the prison free of RATS, the four legged ones anyway.