Tim Surkovich's life changed when he started using a service dog.  He has multiple sclerosis.  He was diagnosed 20 years ago.  His condition makes him weak on his left side.  Two years ago it caused Surkovich to fall; he fell a lot.  Now, Painter, his trusty service dog, keeps Tim on his feet.

That's when he got Painter, a fully-trained, now three year-old Yellow Lab.  Painter helps his owner with balance and walking, but this service dog didn't have a traditional upbringing.

Painter was trained and grew up in prison, part of the Prison Puppy Training Program.

Canine Partners for Life, a non-profit organization dedicated to training service dogs, started the Prison Puppy Training Program in 2000 at the Maryland Correctional Facility for Women.  Since then four state prisons began participating in Pennsylvania, including the State Correctional Institute Smithfield.  Since 2007, 11 dogs have been trained at SCI Smithfield. 

The program puts a puppy in a jail cell with an inmate when the puppy is just a few weeks old.  That convict will spend one year training the dog.

The Prison Puppy Training Program is helping millions of Americans with disabilities, by providing more service dogs, which are in high demand.