Group to host forum on anti-gang strategy

Shane Partridge was 16 when he first got into trouble with the law, and was in and out of jail for 20 years of his life — until he became involved with STR8 UP seven years ago.

“I started being aware of myself, and that I wasn’t this jerk that I thought I was. I was human and there was an opportunity for me to go about life different if I was willing to allow someone to care about me,” he recalls.

Inmates working with STR8 UP while in Saskatoon’s jail who are transferred to Regina or Prince Albert lose that support due to a lack of resources.

“(Then), once they get released, either we don’t know about it, or they just show up at our door,” says Stan Tu’Inukuafe, co-founder of STR8 UP, which helps gang members get out of the lifestyle.

Tu’Inukuafe is coordinator for an upcoming forum hosted by STR8 UP, entitled Sharing Solutions: Charting a Community Based Provincial Gang Strategy. The event will bring people from across the province to discuss gang issues in Saskatchewan communities and strategies to address them.

“What we’re trying to do at this forum is to say: ‘ What can be done, not only to prevent people from joining gangs, but (for) people who are in it, what kind of strategies and what kind of programs can we do to help them leave the gang life.’ ”

About 80 different agencies are expected to attend the forum from May 29-31 at the Saskatoon Inn.

There was an opportunity for me to go about life different if I was willing to allow someone to care about me.

STR8 UP plans to follow up the event by visiting communities that weren’t able to send people to attend, allowing them a chance to provide feedback.

“The final product will be a community-driven report saying, ‘If you want to address gangs in Saskatchewan, here’s how you do it,’ ” Tu’Inukuafe said.