Kevin Allerston
Northern News Services

Yellowknife (Aug 05/05) - Stanley Itsi is not the sort of person a parent would normally expect as a role model for their children.

His path in life has led in and out of the justice system since he was 12. He is in the remand unit of the North Slave Correctional Centre awaiting trial on manslaughter charges.

Stanley Itsi has been in and out of the justice system since he was 12 and is now in the North Slave Correctional Centre remand unit awaiting trial on manslaughter charges. He wants to make a video to educate Northern youth about the consequences of a life of crime.

But the 27-year-old is trying to make a positive change, leading a video-project that shows the reality of life in the system.

"It's just to tell them that jail and crime ain't the answer," Itsi said in a phone interview.

"All I can think of right now is getting the message out to those kids so I don't see them coming into this place. It's not a good place to be."

Not a role model

The hope is, he said, that the video will be used in schools around the North and as a tool by RCMP.

"It's to tell them about culture and family - the things that really matter in life - not drinking and dealing drugs."

The project is in the early stages, little more than an idea he is trying to get off the ground, but he hopes where there is a vision, there is a way.

In addition to other inmates, Itsi also hopes to have a few elders involved - anybody to help connect with Northern youth.

"The best thing about it is that kids who see it are going to be hearing from their own people. Instead of having videos come from outside of the NWT that can't really relate to anyone," Itsi said.

"If we could get to those kids before they get older, we could really make a difference," Itsi said.

"I know a lot of kids see us as examples, and I want to see something good come out of my bad experience," Itsi said.

Stephen Puskus, general manager of Western Arctic Moving Pictures, is "definitely be interested in helping out."

His organization could rent video cameras and editing equipment, and helping producers find government grants to put the project together.

Many of the people he works with are also interested, Puskus said.

Lydia Bardak is on the inmate advisory committee and is helping to organize the project.

"We will do some work on it and develop a proposal to find funding," Bardak said.

She helped explain some of the details of the proposed video.

Not role models

"Back in the communities some of the kids are idolizing them when they come back from jail."

"Inmates are just trying to get the message out that inmates do not want to be seen as role models when they get back from prison."

"I think it's an excellent message," Bardak said. "We might do it as having a group of six sitting with questions prepared so they can do it in a dialogue style.

'Growing concept'

"At this point it's just a growing concept and there seems to be support for it," she said.

Eric Kieken, deputy warden of security, thinks it is a good idea.

"If this can keep others out of here, then we've accomplished a very important aspect of what we are trying to do here," Kieken said.