This is a life-changing workshop for all youth and especially those that are already into criminal activity or headed for trouble with the law, the courts and ultimately youth detention facilities if they do not turn their lives around. This program was designed to openly and honestly address the serious issues so many of our community youth are caught up in today including alcohol, drugs, vandalism, violence, drug trafficking, youth gangs, street life, gangsterism, gang and thug life and youth that are glorifying the pimp-gangster subculture. This is a very straightforward look at the realities youth will be facing if their attitudes and behaviors continue along a destructive path. This workshop is hard core reality and was specifically designed to be a real wake up call for troubled youth. Many youth that have attended this workshop speak very highly about the positive and lasting impact it has had on their lives; some have stated to Lee that if they wouldn’t have been forced to attend such an eye opening look at the reality of gang and prison life they would be serving time in a detention facility today. This is at times a very in-their-face look into a very brutal world where youth begin to gain some real insight into how totally violent and senseless prison life is, how they become victims as they struggle to survive in a world where the pecking order has already been determined long before the youth even got to jail. This workshop also features a strong empowerment component that encourages youth to abstain from alcohol, drugs, gang activities and violence, it also encourages youth to take on a new attitude about staying in school and completing their education in order to develop a healthier future for themselves and to become positive role models in their communities. This workshop series also places extensive emphasis on overcoming the obstacles that have been put in our path and taking the necessary steps to regain personal pride, community pride and a true sense of respect for self and each other and our Sacred Native teachings.
This program is regarded by many leaders and corrections professionals as one of the most significant programs ever offered to the younger generation. Lee has helped hundreds of youth avoid becoming caught up in the prison system and he gains an almost immediate respect from them. Aside from his formal training he brings with him an extremely important education that is unattainable in the academic world. He graduated from the school of hard knocks and he knows firsthand the struggles one has to overcome to truly recover from the addictions that are a direct result of the traumas life has presented them with.
Canadian prisons are filled with young people that have become trapped in the downward spiral of addiction. It has been stated that the Canadian prison system is the fastest growing Indian Reservation in the country. Many Native people are serving sentences in Youth Detention Centers, Provincial Jails and Federal Prisons, 85 percent of the people locked behind bars are serving time for crimes directly related to their substance abuse. All participants in this component gain a crystal clear understanding of the realities of exactly how their addictions and the resultant criminal behaviors will inevitably lead to a life of troubles with the law and the court system, this component also focuses on how substances hold us back from realizing our full potential. Other important issues discussed during this component are the gang and youth violence issues in our communities, because of the negative influence of Rap music many of our youth are getting drawn into the destructive lifestyles portrayed in this music, Lee Mason has studied Rap music's influence on our youth and our communities and he openly discusses the destructive impact upon youth including the negative portrayal of females as viewed by the gangster-rap and pimp-rap mentality. Many youth are getting caught up in this mentality that leads to extreme violence, abuse, neglect, and disrespect for self and for all human life. This is a very powerful session that involves all participants through open discussion, video presentations, role-plays and interactive participation. Youth gain a clearer understanding that they are the masters of the choices they make and this program empowers them toward taking the positive lifestyle steps required toward realizing sobriety and making healthier choices for themselves by putting down the substances and abandoning the gang lifestyle. Youth are encouraged to become a Young Warrior and to act as a positive role model and protector of their community.

Call or email us for workshop details and how to bring this program to your community.