Sergetalks Blog ~ The Official Blog of Serge LeClerc

Soon after I arrived at Kingston Penitentiary, the deputy warden came to see me. We were no strangers. He had been my classification officer in Collins Bay Penitentiary, so he knew me well. (A classification officer has a caseload of convicts with whom he meets on a monthly basis. He gives advice regarding programs they should take and helps them fill out applications for day passes, paroles, or orders for court.

The C.O.’s primary role is to work with the convict to achieve some level of rehabilitation.) “I’d like you to do me a favor,” the deputy warden said, “and I will do one for you in return. Here’s the deal. We want to turn this prison into a full protective custody facility, but in the meantime, we need to get it back on its operational legs.

“I would like you to stay here in static population and become head of the inmate committee. You’re one of the few people I know who can pull this off because of your status and your reputation. You have only two years remaining on your sentence. If you will give me one year here, you can pick wherever you want to go for your final year. I don’t care where it is.” I said, “You’ve got a deal.” (more…)

I did my full twenty-two month sentence, most of it in solitary confinement. As a matter of fact, I was released from solitary confinement directly onto the street.

I believe I was on the street in Toronto for a grand total of fifty five days. I immediately began doing drugs again and got so strung out on methamphetamines, I don’t think I slept at all during the fifty-five days.

I was back to carrying a gun and got involved in a couple of bank robberies and a jewellery store heist. I knew the police would be looking for me, so I left Toronto and spent some time in Montreal.

Sure enough, when I came back, there was a warrant out for my arrest with a ‘Do not approach; this man is known to be armed and very dangerous’ caution attached. I knew nothing of this and walked into my apartment. (more…)

Just to recap some of the statistics of the plague of alcohol upon our modern day society and our young people:

Alcohol usage or misuse and alcohol related deaths are the number one killer of that same age bracket;

What numerous people do not realize is that many, if not most of the 50,000 cases of alcohol poisoning in the United States each year do not result from alcohol addiction, but rather from instance of alcohol abuse. Indeed, binge drinking, a type of alcohol abuse, leads to perhaps the majority of alcohol overdose cases that are reported each year. Obviously, many people are not aware of this information or about alcohol facts such as these.

While underage drinking is a factor in nearly in nearly half of all teen automobile crashes, the leading cause of death among teenagers. (more…)

For the trip to St. John’s Training School, I was put in a vehicle with a mesh screen separating me from the driver. I remember traveling down a road and going out into the country. It was a new experience for me. I had never been out of the city before.

St. John’s Training School was an ugly place. That was my first impression as we drove through the big steel gates. It had a rural, farmlike setting, but there was nothing peaceful or pastoral about it. The compound consisted of several austere, brown brick buildings and a barn. Much of the complex was surrounded by a chain-link fence. The rest was farm property adjacent to a small town where many of the staff lived.

I was immediately taken to the office of the Head Brother in charge of my assigned dormitory. There I had my hair shaved off, was issued a suit of clothing (blue shirt and pants, both about six inches too long, and black tennis shoes), given a blanket roll, and pointed to my bed. (more…)