Inside a maximum-security prison in Indiana, a quiet corner looks nothing like the rest of the place. Men in beige uniforms spend hours each day scooping litter, brushing fur, and coaxing shy cats out of hiding spots. The animals purr. The men settle. The contrast is hard to miss.
That scene plays out at Pendleton Correctional Facility through a program called F.O.R.W.A.R.D. Felines and Offenders Rehabilitation with Affection, Reformation and Dedication. Launched in March 2015, it pairs carefully screened incarcerated men with rescued shelter cats from the Animal Protection League of Anderson.
The cats live in a dedicated sanctuary space built with donations and inmate labor. It has climbing structures, wall cubbies, scratching posts, and open areas where the animals can move freely. Participants handle daily care: scheduled feeding, grooming, litter cleaning, and steady socialization. Many of the cats arrive after abandonment or trauma and struggle with people. The extra human contact helps them become more adoptable. When one finds a home often with staff or an inmate’s family another rotates in.
The program started small with 12 cats. It later expanded into a larger space. By 2022, about 60 cats and kittens had gone through it. That same year the ASPCA named F.O.R.W.A.R.D. its Cat Advocate of the Year, recognizing the partnership between the prison and the shelter and the benefits for both the animals and the caretakers.
Staff and participants describe practical gains. Inmates learn routine, patience, and basic animal-care skills. They practice staying calm around fearful cats. Chloe Wargny, an administrative assistant who works with the program, has seen the shift:
“For me, it just shows a different side of them. Most of the time, they want to love on the cats and make sure that they’re taken care of.”
Michelle Rains, who helped start the effort, noted that the cats offer something rare:
“Once you bond with animals, they don’t judge you. Those cats rely on the offenders.”
This is not the only Indiana prison cat effort. A separate program at Indiana State Prison in Michigan City lets selected men keep cats in their cells as companions, partnered with Fried’s Cat Shelter. F.O.R.W.A.R.D. is different it uses a shared sanctuary model focused on preparing hard-to-place cats for adoption rather than long-term cell housing.
