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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 1989-08-16, Page 5THE CITIZEN, WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 16, 1989. PAGE 5. Definitely not a country club ‘Removal of freedom is the institution’, DeGrandis says A view from inside Oncea resident of Bluewater has acquired a sufficient number of merit points he will be admitted to Honour House, which allows them a little more freedom, and special privileges, like Buddy, the house pet. BY BONNIE GROPP Last week I met a teenager, intelligent and good looking he possessed impeccable manners, an engaging sense of humour, capti­ vating charisma and a murder charge. His home is Bluewater Youth Centre near Goderich. I visited Bluewater a few months ago and was so impressed I decided to return and learn more about the facility and its residents. Bluewater was originally built in 1961 as a Ministry of Health Psychiatric Hospital. In the mid- 70’s it changed to a Centre for the Developmentally Handicapped un­ der the Ministry of Community and Social Services. Then in late 1984 it was transferred to Correctional Services for its present use and opened in the middle of 1985. Initially the public reaction to the opening of Bluewater was nega­ tive. According to Superintendent Keeping wat ch In the security room at Bluewater the on-duty guard monitors the televisions. Cameras are placed on the doors and fences of the institution to eliminate the possibility of runaways. Carl DeGrandis the feeling in some circles, especially with the close neighbours, was “we don’t want to have this dropped in our midst.” There was anxiety from other circles DeGrandis said, primarily from lack of understanding. From the rest it was ambivalence. Since that time, DeGrandis explains the feeling for the most part has changed. ‘Through a period of public information, tours, sight­ seeing, improvements, and a de­ crease in the number of runaways, people have become used to the idea and comfortable with the presence of the institution,” he says. And Bluewater is geared to preventing runaways. The security room located near the front of the building contains several small televisions. There are cameras on the doors and outside fences and these are seen on each screen. Every house in Bluewater has a certain count and several times a day this number is called down to the guard and a total count is taken. A Duty Officer is in charge of all resident movement; he knows at all times where each resident is. On the inside, to observers, Bluewater is like any other office building. A comment from one rather irate visitor referred to it as a “country club” and she wonder­ ed where the punishment was for these young offenders. “Look at them,” she said. “A tennis court, swimming pool, they live better than I do”. A companion with her, however, thought that this was a good idea. “Show them the good life, and let them see how beautiful things can be in this world”. DeGrandis though repudiates these ideas, saying he defies anyone to point out any luxury. “There is carpet in the visitors’ room and the private offices but these boys live with a bed, desk, chair, and a locker. “DeGrandis also mentions that the picture used to soften the long hallways are prints and not one “cost over five dollars”, he said. “For the sake of discussion”, he added, “let’s say it is luxurious. Let me take you to Benmiller Inn and tell you you can’t leave for a year and a half. You must get up when I say, go to bed when I say and eat when I say. You tell me at some point you won’t stop con­ sidering this living in the lap of luxury. It is the removal of freedom that is the institution not the institution itself.” DeGrandis con­ tinues, “You show me that in the past, dungeons have corrected and maybe we’ll return, but until then, this is progress.” For the residents of Bluewater what is life like? John Doe, (not his real name) is in the institution for the second time. He described it sardonically as a “summer camp your parents can afford to send you to.” A summer camp that for some will last three years, where they must work for every reward, have limited visits with family, following which they are strip-searched, and every move is monitored. My tour guide, when I visited the facility was Romeo, a rather appro- pos alias for the young man I mentioned at the beginning of this article. Romeo explained to me that Carl DeGrandis Carl DeGrandis has been Superintendent at Bluewater Youth Centre in Goderich since it opened in 1985. when a resident first comes to Bluewater, they are given a com­ plete physical and strip-searched. They are given institutional clothes and their personal clothes are taken away. When they first come in they are put in Ontario House and are considered a junior. Through a point system, the residents can work their way up to a higher level when they will receive more privi­ leges and freedom. Three points are given for simply behaving but according to Romeo, if you’re willing to do extra chores, and have a positive attitude, you will get more points. “I sort of figured, why not work, there is nothing else to do,” he said. Romeo also points out that there are extra points if you help other residents who might be having trouble adjusting to life at Blue­ water. There are two shifts a day and a resident can get as many as five points a shift. “When we get a certain number we can get re­ wards, like a trip to McDonald’s. It doesn’t seem like much to you”, he stated, “but for us it’s a big deal.” Intermediate level residents are given one late night a week, and can watch the VCR on Friday and Saturday. They are permitted one five-minute phone call a week as well. When they advance to senior, these calls increase to 10 minutes. If a resident has over 50 points, he is raised to Gold Bar. These youths are the highest level in the house, and are rewarded with more late nights, and four phone calls week­ ly. They visit McDonald’s and receive passes. Also, Romeo exp­ lained, they are trusted and are expected only to tell the duty officer what they are doing. “If they make a mistake, they will receive a warning. Too many times and they’ll lose their gold bar status. The next level is Honour House. The residents who reach this level are required only to sign in and out. They have a dog, “Buddy” and there is no duty officer. They have their own clothes and do their own laundry. There is a stereo for them and they use their own tapes. Romeo told me that later down the road, there are plans of making Honour House an independent living area. Not many of the residents ever get to Honour House - there are only four there presently - and for Romeo the move up was even more difficult. He had just been in Bluewater a brief time when he had acquired enough poihts, but there was concern over putting someone on a murder charge there. “They felt I would have nothing to work for now, so I’d start causing trouble,” he explained. “But I have got some­ thing to offer. I want to stay in Honour House.” Romeo like 90 per cent of the residents of Bluewater, also at­ tends Bluewater Secondary School, which is a separate institution run by the Huron County Board of Education. While attendance is not mandatory for anyone over 16, the Centre does try to encourage residents to attend. DeGrandis says that in the final analysis it is their choice. “We encourage, sug­ gest, and implant the idea, but, if they are over 16 years of age it is their right. We can’t on one hand Continued on page 10 Someday. Forsomeof the Young Offenders at Bluewater it can be as long as three years before they will see much beyond these restricting fences.