JAMESTOWN (AP) - Nine inmates at the James River Correctional Center have a new job - dog handling.

The inmates haven't suddenly been given the right to have pets in prison. They are doing important volunteer work by helping train service dogs, said Don Redmann, the center's warden.

Great Plains Assistance Foundation in Jud has 23 dogs in various stages of training and only two trainers in its Service Dogs for America program.

"If each dog gets out 20 minutes a day, he's lucky," said Joni Brandenburg, the Great Plains executive director.

For Brandenburg and Mitch Doyle, the head trainer, the lack of time to work with each dog has limited the number of dogs they can place with people who are disabled. They have been able to place no more than 10 service dogs a year.

They needed more trainers and more time spent on basic dog training.

They found their answer at the medium security prison.

Now three handlers teach and reinforce what is called Basic 5 training - sit, stay, heel, down and come.

"They must obey on the first command," Doyle said.

Only after a dog has been trained well in the basics can that dog be trained to specific service needs.

About a month ago, the nine inmates who were chosen as basic trainers started working with Ivy, Jangles and Jingles. Great Plains supplies the food, equipment and veterinary services. The inmates, who were interviewed by Great Plains staff before getting the job, supply the labor and the time around their own schedules.

Doyle trained them in their work with the dogs, and continues to meet with them regularly to provide more training.

The dogs are with one of their three handlers at all times, 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Three handlers are used so the dog does not become dependent on only one person, Brandenburg said.

Redmann acknowledged he was a little worried about how the rest of the inmates would react to having dogs around and whether the dogs would be safe. The answer was a resounding yes.

"The inmates behaved like little kids with the dogs," he said. "The dogs were very well received."

"When you bring the dog into a room, the atmosphere changes in a positive way," said inmate Adrian Spath, one of Jingles' handlers.

As a side benefit, everyone at the prison is learning about dogs and how to treat them.

"It's all positive reinforcement. They get ignored if they don't do what you want them to do," Redmann said. "And absolutely no people food."

At the same time, no one knew how the dogs would react to prison life with its dense population in a confined area. So far, only one dog has washed out of the program.

For Spath, Damien Breding, Kendall Feist, Chris Danielson and Bowe Getzlaff, the volunteer work is ongoing enjoyment for a good cause.

"It's pretty cool. They'll help somebody wherever they go," said Danielson, who is one of Ivy's handlers.

Getzlaff, a Jangles handler, spent a few minutes huddled with Doyle to discuss what to do about Jangles after the dog started to bark for no reason.

"It's hard not to get attached to them because they're so good. They behave way better than we do," Getzlaff said. "They're teaching us patience and responsibility."

The men agree it will be tough to let their dogs go after six months.

"He'll be going to someone who needs him," Spath said. "I just tell myself it's time for him to go to work."

Doyle was happy with the progress the three dogs were making. Eventually, Doyle, Brandenburg and Redmann hope to have as many as 10 dogs getting their basic training at the prison.

"About 25 percent of the dogs will fail to become service dogs in the end. We're hoping we can reduce that number with more attention and training here," Redmann said.

"It's a work in progress, but it's gone way better than anyone thought," said Chad Pringle, the JRCC staff member in charge of the Inmate Canine Assistance Program. "We hear very few complaints from inmates. The dogs are something from the outside and they're comforting."