Prison Barbecue

Every year the Salvation Army Communty Centre heads north to Prince Albert and the Riverbend Institution for our annual barbecue for the inmates and staff there.  This year we brought along 450 hamburgers, 350 hotdogs/smokies/sausages, a couple hundred cans of pop, salads, chips, and dessert for everyone.

Yesterday Major Henri, our program director Sylvia, and myself made the trek north and had a great time cooking, serving, and chatting with guys there.  Thanks to the chaplaincy staff at the Saskatchewan Penitentiary and Riverbend for such great hosts.   Also thanks to staff at Riverbend for being so accommodating to us.  We really appreciate it!

Curbing prostitution in Saskatoon

The current issue of the Salvationist has an article on how the Saskatoon Community Centre is curbing prostitution in Saskatoon by holding regular John Schools.

Albert Brown, correctional coordinator for The Salvation Army in Saskatoon, doesn’t have the easiest job in the world. He runs a rehabilitation course for clients of prostitutes, also known as “johns.”

“I have one day to help the men get past their denial,” says Brown, “and make them see the harm they are causing to prostitutes, their families, the community and themselves.”

Popularly known as “John School,” the alternative measures program originated in 2000 and more than 360 have taken the course. Since then, only five are known to have re-offended. “If the men don’t take ownership of their issues, they’ll be sent back to court to be dealt with,” states Brown. “Failure is not an option.”

The articles describes John School like this:

Police exhibit weapons confiscated from prostitutes. Former sex trade workers talk about sordid life on the streets and community health workers warn of the diseases that can be caught. None of the stories are pretty. There is no glamour to prostitution and they want to dissuade the men from any such notion.

Community residents explain what it’s like to live in a red-light area, where women can’t walk down the street without being accosted. They relate how backyards are routinely checked for used needles or condoms before children can go out and play.

After that, a former john discusses how he got into trouble, the implications that had for his family and how he’s struggled to put his life back together.

The most emotional part of the day follows when a couple speaks about how their daughter met a man at a local fair. Within days, she was working the streets. The parents’ nightmare lasted for years, never knowing if she was safe. Despite their love and best efforts, the daughter disappeared and her body was found a couple of years later.

Finally, there’s a debriefing where the men each stand in turn and explain the impact the session has had. By the end of the program, they’re emotionally exhausted and many are ready to change their harmful behaviour.

2008 Barbecue at Riverbend Institution

Earlier this week four staff from the Centre made the trip to Prince Albert to Riverbend Institution to put on a barbecue for the inmates and staff. Several hundred hot dogs and hamburgers (and a lot of smoke) later, everyone left feeling full and our van was a lot lighter going back to the Saskatoon than it was when we left.

Before the barbecue got going, I had a chance to take some quick photos of us getting started. All of the photos can be found here.