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Can horse taming prevent reoffending?

The EconomistAnthony Garrison, Toby
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  • The Wild Mustang program aims to teach life skills to a small number of inmates to prevent recidivism, with success defined by participants becoming productive members of society and breaking the cycle of re-offending.
  • Reoffending rates among program graduates have fallen to four percent over the last five years, though the program is time-consuming and difficult to implement, limiting the total number of inmates who can be helped.
  • The long-term outlook predicts a reduction in prison population and significant monetary and social savings if the program successfully prevents reoffending, contrasting with a historical 500% increase in the prison population over the last 50 years driven by policies like mandatory minimum sentences.
  • Operational and financial risks include the difficulty of establishing pioneering programs and the substantial costs associated with wildlife management, exemplified by the annual $49 million spent on government holding pens for approximately 6,000 wild mustangs rounded up yearly.
  • Specific participant timelines indicate that inmate Anthony Garrison is scheduled for release in February 2021.