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The MacCormick Center
The MacCormick Center is a maximum security correctional facility for young men ages
16-21 that have committed violent crimes. A majority of the visiting animals are dogs; however, with each semester
comes the addition of new animal volunteers, including ferrets. Plans have also been made for everyone's favorite
Cornell Companions, the llamas, to visit.Volunteers meet in the waiting area, where they sign in and enter the facility through the metal detector. If the weather is nice, they take all the animals to a central courtyard and let the dogs loose. If it rains, visits are held in the facility gymnasium. There are four units of boys that must be kept separate from each other; each unit spends 15 minutes with the animals. Volunteers bring lots of dog treats, and the boys run around with the dogs. They teach the boys how to treat the animals and how to get the animals to perform various tricks.
Click here to read an interesting article about the MacCormick Center from the Ithaca Times.
The Center is also mentioned in the book Lost Boys by Cornell professor James Garbarino. Click here to read this selection.
Distance from Cornell: 18.83 miles, or about 28 minutes
300 South Rd.
Brooktondale, NY 14817
607-539-7121
http://criminaljustice.state.ny.us/crimnet/ojsa/agdir/agydoc-22.htm