EPSO PAWS program helps train dogs – and inmate mental health

EL PASO, Texas (KVIA) -- For over a decade now, the El Paso County Sheriff's Office has paired non-violent inmates with dogs. The purpose? To train dogs the commands they need to get adopted, and to help with inmate mental health.

ABC-7's dedicated Mental Health Correspondent, Avery Martinez, files this story about the program -- speaking to inmates about how the work with dogs affects their mindset -- and how animals help with mental health overall.

Avery Martinez covers mental health in the Borderland as part of ABC-7’s Be Mindful initiative. He is also a Report for America corps member. RFA places talented, emerging journalists in newsrooms like ABC-7’s to report on under-covered issues and communities. Report for America is an initiative of The GroundTruth Project, an award-winning nonprofit journalism organization dedicated to rebuilding journalism from the ground up.