TEENS WARNED ABOUT DRUGS

Program Shows South Oldham Students Life in Prison

"My name is 096355," Jerry Guenthner told about 40 South Oldham High
School students. "Pretty sad, right?"

That's Guenthner's identification number at the Luther Luckett
Correctional Complex in LaGrange, where the 39-year-old inmate has
served about 18 years of a 65-year sentence for robbing and killing an
undercover Shively police officer during a 1986 drug bust that went
horribly wrong.

Teachers and Ted Spegal, South Oldham's school resource officer, took
the students, who are studying criminal justice and sociology, to the
prison to give them a real-life glimpse into what it's like to be
incarcerated.

"It's not the movies," said Stacy Pendleton, who teaches criminal law
at the Crestwood school. "It's always better to see the real thing."

Luther Luckett spokeswoman Cindy Hall said the prison does not have
many student visits, but she thinks more schools would schedule them
if they knew how effective the inmates' message is.

"Sometimes our society portrays prison to be a glamorous type of
thing," Hall said. "It's good for children to hear what it's really
like. They get the reinforcement of what their parents tell them -
that sometimes it only takes one mistake."

Some students giggled when metal parts in their shoes and belts set
off a metal detector, but many of them said they left feeling moved by
the inmates' stories of mistakes and hopes for redemption.

"I almost cried," senior Latashia Chatman said. "It makes you think
about what you're doing. They could be out leading normal lives like
us."

Guenthner was living an exceptional life when he was their age. He was
a promising football player for DeSales High School before drugs
changed his life.

Now, he told the students, one man is dead and his own life is defined
by a concrete cell, nearly narrow enough for his outstretched arms to
touch opposing walls. And now he is known by a number.

DeMond Bush, 31, told students a similar story.

Bush is serving a 50-year sentence for his role in the 1992 murder of
a librarian for the Legislative Research Commission in Frankfort. But
he stressed that long before he was charged with manslaughter,
kidnapping and robbery, his series of mistakes started with
experimenting with marijuana.

By age 14, Bush said, he was selling drugs. At 15, he robbed two men,
slapping them with a pistol and taking their wallets. At 17, he joined
a gang and was shot and stabbed. And at 18, he was involved in taking
someone's life.

"I'm ashamed," he told students, their eyes following him as he paced
before them. "It's not something you want to share with a room full of
people."

Bush added, "You guys can be anything you want to be ... or you could
be in here with us talking to the next group."

Guenthner told students that teenagers may think experimenting with
drugs is not a big deal. "But it's not a game," he said.

South Oldham senior Frederik Stig-Nielsen said Guenthner's words were
not wasted.

"Teachers and parents tell you all that - 'Don't do drugs' - but they
haven't been there," he said. "To hear them (inmates) say that, it
means more."

After Guenthner and Bush spoke, many students asked questions about
their daily lives.

At one student's request, Guenthner described his day - he gets up at
5a.m., washes clothes in the prison laundry and attends several
vocational classes throughout the day.

He stays busy, he said, because "you do your time, or your time does
you."

One student asked whether there is much violence at the
prison.

"It's not 'Oz,'" said Bush, referring to the former HBO television
series depicting brutal prison life. "But I have known guys who have
been killed, raped, run out of the bathroom dripping in blood."

Another student asked what inmates do for holidays and their
birthdays.

Bush's answer - try not to think about them. He said it hurts too much
to know he cannot be with loved ones.

Hall said she hopes the students make use of what they
heard.

"Everybody's got a friend who's maybe going down the wrong road," she
said.

[Sidebar]

Tips for parents in telling teens about drugs If you suspect
your child is using drugs or alcohol, here are tips on dealing with
the problem from the "Parents - the Anti-Drug" campaign:

Don't make excuses - You are not helping your children if you make
excuses for them when they miss school or family functions and you
suspect they are involved in drugs or alcohol. Talk to your children
to get more information on why they are not showing up.

Get educated - Learn as much as possible about drug and alcohol use by
teens. You can, for example, order pamphlets and fact sheets from the
National Clearinghouse for Alcohol and Drug Information by calling
(800) 788-2800.

Have the talk - After you have read up on the subject, share what you
have learned with your child. Reserve plenty of time for your
conversation. This can be a difficult subject, so the discussion
should not be rushed.

What to say - Remind your child that you love him or her and that you
are worried. You are there to listen, and you want to be part of the
solution. Make it clear that you will not tolerate drug or alcohol use
and that you count on your child as a member of the family - "Your
brother and sister look up to you. What would they do if you were
gone?" Sometimes children use drugs and alcohol because they are
stressed or unhappy or because their friends are using; ask your child
if these apply. Tell your child you will not give up until he or she
stops using.

Be specific about your concerns - Tell your child what you see and how
you feel about it - for example, if you found drug paraphernalia or if
there are changes in his or her behavior .

Remain calm - Have this conversation without getting angry or accusing
your child. Be firm but loving with your tone, and try not to get into
an argument. Instead, make an effort to connect with your child. If
your child tells you he or she was offered drugs at a party, ask
whether he or she tried it out of curiosity or for some other reason.

Be prepared - Expect your child to deny using drugs, get angry or try
to change the subject. If your child asks whether you tried drugs as a
child, be honest, and try to connect those bad decisions to negative
consequences. If you are uncomfortable talking about your experience,
you can talk about what happened with people you know.

Act now - Monitor your child's activities. Ask where your child is
going, who will be there and what they will do. Reflect on why your
child is using drugs or alcohol - the answer will help shape your
action plan. Set new rules and consequences, such as an earlier curfew
or less time with friends. You may want to try to get your child
involved in new social activities that will keep your child busy and
provide opportunities to meet new people.