The Religious Education Department organised an outside
speaker to come to Halton Select Stadium and speak to our Y12 students about a
life changing experience. Following this they were given the opportunity to ask
questions and engage in workshops to consider what they had heard about.
The students spent the morning with a local boy and past pupil
Shaun Attwood. He explained how he lived the ‘American Dream’. Moving to Arizona, with only a pocket full of
student credit cards and becoming a stock market millionaire. After throwing ecstasy
parties for thousands he found himself involved with the Italian mafia, who
inevitably put a hit out on him. His dream turned to a nightmare when he was
arrested and found himself in Arizona’s deadliest prison.
The students were amazed to hear how Shaun used a tiny pencil
sharpened on the cell wall to document gang violence and human rights
violations he witnessed and experienced every day.
After Shaun’s humble and frank story the students took part in
workshops reflecting upon Shaun’s experiences of drugs and prison life. The students’
responses were insightful and heartfelt. Jess Jones said, “what effected our
group most today was how ordinary and lovely this ex-drug addict was”. Rebecca
Yates explained how it was ignorant of people to say prisoners deserved this
type of punishment. Kai said the images that affected his group the most were
off ex-in mates who suffered physical and sexual trauma as the guards looked
the other way.
Shaun generously gave each
student and staff member a signed copy of his new book called ‘Hard Time’. All
the staff involved were really impressed with the maturity and polite manner of
the Sixth Form students. This was an enlightening experience and we look
forward to meeting Shaun again next year for his up and coming talk on life
lessons.
