Young offender finds way through Poundmakers

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Sturgeon Lake, AB.

One dark night last year, 17 year old Spencer (not his real name) and his younger cousin decided to steal a car.

That night turned into a nightmare for the two youth, one they would rather forget.

Both boys were drinking heavily and "popping pills" that night when Spencer decided they should steal a car in Stoney Plain.

After they had stolen a car they managed to steal a car but in no time at all, a high speed chase with the RCMP cruiser began.

Reaching speeds up to 140 km per hour, the high speed chase roared down country roads, through the Enoch Reserve and eventually into Edmonton.

The boy's car turned off on to a street and met a deadend inside residential crescent.

It also proved a deadend for the two boys.

"I was scared. My cousin was crying. Police were all around us," he recalled.

"A police dog was barking loudly. They hollered for us to crawl out of the car. We lay on the pavement and they came up on us and threw us into separate cars. I kept holding onto

the door because the police dog wanted to get at me. I was scared.

Spencer was charged with dangerous driving, failing to stop, impaired driving, not having a valid driver's license, theft over $1,000, unlawful possession over $1,000 and theft under

$1,000.

He was held in custody and faced a jail term over the charges.

Thinking back now, Spencer shakes his head remembering the chase down the Whitemud freeway. In a quiet voice, he admits he could have killed someone.

"I finally got a visit from a probation officer after about three weeks in a youth detention centre. Their report was I was a nice person when I was sober, so I guess she wanted to

help me.

"She asked me if I knew about Poundmaker's (treatment centre) but I never had couselling in my life. Another thins is you can't open up in those centers because in there you have

to be tough, macho - one of the guys."

Spencer eventually found the confidence to inquire about entering Poundmaker's program.

Through the recommendation of his probation officer, Spencer was accepted because apparently almost based all his problems with the law were alcohol-related.

For his night of frolic, Spencer received three months open custody, no probation and no fines for the charges.

The only stipulation was that enroll in the Poundmaker's Alcohol and Drug Abuse treatment program.

"I was scared when I entered the program," Spencer recalled.

"After the second day listening to people talk, I couldn't believe it! I never heard people talk like that before, caring. I went to primary groups, attended the sweat lodge and joined in

circle discussions in one room. It helped me a lot," he now says.

Then one day Spencer's group, called the "Young Studs", were allowed to go out of the centre on a temporary pass.

Although they were not allowed to contact anyone, Spencer broke the rule and phoned his brother who invited him over for a visit.

Spencer remembers he didn't want to but decided to leave the group.

"I just went. (But) I had one beer with my cousin and then it hit me. I looked at my family members ll drinking. I called my counsellor and he said to come back or I would be charged

with being UAL (unlawfully at large)."

"I told my family I was going back. Some of them said not to, that I'd only get two weeks, but I said no and went back."

Spencer eventually found work at Kikino, I was thinking all the time about Poundmaker's."

He returned to Edmonton, living at the Kochee Mena Apartments, a place where prisoners paroled from jail can stay while piecing their lives together.

"I talked to a caseworker there and mentioned I wanted to go to Poundmaker's again.

"At Poundmaker's, I was learning things about the abuse of alcohol and drugs. I was learning about myself," he said.

After talking to a counsellor, he was allowed to return.

When Spencer did return, he received a Poundmaker's welcome.

His goal in life now is to finish his treatment. Spencer says he wants to help other teenages battle the addiction of alcohol and drugs and want to eventually enter the Nechi

program to learn how to become an addiction counsellor.

Elder Alfred Bonaise, who works at Poundmaker's Lodge, said he cannot believe the complete turnaround that Spencer has made in his life.

With pride and a smile, Spencer says June 24 was the last day he took a drink.