Labrador retrievers are dogs known for sociability and physical resilience. Those qualities, according to an article in The New York Times by Ethan Hauser, make them ideal for training as dogs to detect bombs and drugs.

One program supervised by a canine performance group at Auburn University uses prisoners as handlers to begin the task of training the dogs as sniffers. The prisoners, living in a more structured environment, train the dogs better than families do, who tend to see them as pets rather than candidates for a challenging job.

Inmates chosen for the trainer jobs must have a high-school diploma or equivalent and be free of disciplinary problems for a year. They live in a dedicated living area, with the dogs in crates beside their bunks.

A former warden credits the program with improving the inmates’ morale and behavior. “A lot of these guys have never been given a lot of responsibility, and this is their chance not only to be a responsible adult but a responsible citizen.”

Maybe we need to consider how many of our incarcerated citizens crave meaningful activity—and whose experiences might prove advantageous for certain jobs.