"Through their programs and services, the John Howard Society works to prevent crime and to help people affected by crime," Sylvia began our interview. "The students in the literacy program here are offenders, ex-offenders and members of their immediate families. The program was set up almost a year ago and we now have an average of 15 - 20 (mostly male but some female) students registered with the program at any given time."

I asked Sylvia what parr of the job she finds most difficult. "I'd have to say it's the high turnover rate of the students," she said after some thought. "It's a revolving door around here - they come and go so quickly. I match a student with a tutor, they have a few lessons together then the student just silently fades away and we lose track of him."

"But there are always new students. I have new students being referred all the time through Client Services, Social Services organizations and through Grierson which is the Native Corrections Service. I go there and talk to the guys once a month or so and to our Halfway Houses, too."

Sylvia rarely sees a student after he chooses to leave the program. "I do have one student who has come back but he's not quite ready to really stay committed to it yet. He's seeing a counsellor down the hall. I told him, 'When you're ready, come and see me, but take your time and get your life organized first.' The fact that he's still coming in here is pretty positive."

"Most of these guys have had a pretty rough time. When people are in conflict with the law, they don't usually have stable jobs or family relationships or even housing in place. If they do have one or two of those things in order, the third is always in flux. They're not always reliable and they have trouble sticking with commitments - even though they say it and they want it, they can't quite do it. There's more motivation if they're on parole or probation but even then it's hard."

"If the student's home or family situation is rocky, it's especially hard for the student to stick with the decision to improve his literacy. The family members don't know how to affirm the person's efforts to learn. And the student's friends are often heading in other directions, often the criminal direction. When the person is at a point of making some good clear choices to leave his old buddies or his old location behind and stay with some newly set up priorities and relationships, that's when the tutoring seems to fit."

I wondered if it is hard to find tutors to work with students who have had trouble with the law and who may not stick with the tutoring situation for long. "The tutors come from all over," Sylvia told me. "Some are from the Volunteer Action Centre or the University and some are students studying corrections or social work at Grant McEwan Community College. In fairness to the tutors, I talk a lot during their training about the characteristics of people who have been in conflict with the law so by the time they've completed the training, they know what to expect."

"I also talk about self-esteem and what an important underlying issue it is for all these students. I tell them that when they're tutoring, they need to be aware that they're helping to build self-esteem through each simple lesson they work on. It's a major factor. Sometimes the fellows just need somebody to pay attention to them; a regular lesson provides that."

"Most of the tutors here are great. I have some tutors who have had some experience in their own personal lives with drugs and alcohol or brushes with the law. They're actually giving me some real insights into how long and hard it is to rehabilitate yourself. Now they're willing to express that kind of understanding and encouragement to their students."