With twenty-five years of law enforcement expertise and ten years experience in the social services arena, Kress and Associates recognizes societies nonsuccess in drug and alcohol addiction recovery programming. Addict recovery programming is reactionary, not proactive. The staggering statistics from the Department of Justice show that eight out of ten crimes committed are drug and alcohol related. These same statistics reveal in 51 % of all high school seniors have used illegal drugs in 2005. We are unsuccessful in preventing substance usage with our youth.
Clearly, when 100 million Americans age 12 and older reported having used illicit drugs, we must make a change. This proposal contains brief statistical data from the U. S. Department of Justice Bureau of Justice Statistics, Pennsylvania Department of Corrections Statistics and information from the Department .of Education. The data included from these three departments clearly demonstrates the enormous task before us to proactively modify the conduct of our youth.
Kress & Associates has been providing an educational program to schools in the Western Pennsylvania area. "Drug and Alcohol Awareness: The Value of Making the Right Choices" has been educating all levels of secondary school students as to the damage drugs and alcohol can have on a person's life and one's family. This program has been presented to seventh through 12 grades. The impact the program has on students is vividly expressed in drug use admissions of students at the presentations and afterward, then amplified by endorsement letters and accolades from School Principals, Assistant Principals, School Counselors, School Nurses, Teachers, School Resource Officers and most importantly the students themselves. The demand from the school districts for this presentation is overwhelming.
Erie Police Lieutenant Joseph M. Kress is a decorated police officer earning numerous Awards and Commendations. He worked in and supervised the Erie Police Narcotics Unit in excess of ten years. Lt. Kress has been qualified eighty five times as an expert in the field of drugs in Pennsylvania Commonwealth Court. He presents true-life experiences that start with the murder of his brother by a drug addict during a robbery attempt. He explains to the students how this has impacted his life and prompted him to become a police officer. He relates how his education led him to become an expert witness in drug investigations. Methodically, this presentation addresses each common drug of choice. The information presented is factual and shows how each addictive drug will systematically destroy the user. Sadly enough, during each presentation when the question is asked " How many students know someone who either uses or sells drugs in this school?", every hand is raised. Finally, Lt. Kress shares with the students how during a drug raid he was shot by a drug dealer and narrowly escaped dying for what he believes in. In 2005 Kress and Associates presented to thousands of students in the northwest Pennsylvania area. During those presentations, a young prison inmate gave students insight on how drugs and alcohol started him down the roads of destruction at the age of fifteen. Alcohol was the vehicle that helped an A student become a high school dropout, a seventeen year old father, an alcoholic, marihuana addict, cocaine user and gun toting drug dealer by the age of seventeen. At the age of eighteen, he was arrested for a felony assault, prosecuted and incarcerated. The inmate shared how his two children visited him in jail and could only speak to him on a telephone. The impact of this tragedy is felt by more persons than just the inmate himself.
Six months after the young inmate was released from jail he was shot and killed by a childhood friend. His killer was high on cocaine at the time of the incident. To this day he contends that he has no idea why he shot and killed his friend. The victim of this senseless crime has a younger brother who has already became involved at the age of 12 with drugs and alcohol, dropped out of school in the eighth grade, became a father at the age of 16, sold drugs and has spent time in prison for felony crimes. His powerful, true story has a dramatic impact on everyone who hears it. This life altering experience brings the audience the clear message of the consequences of drug and alcohol use.
Finally, a career criminal shares his experiences and the lifestyle that led him to spending years behind bars. Prior to making the changes in his life, the former convict makes it clear how drugs and alcohol played a part in his criminal career.
At the conclusion of the presentation numerous students have tearful eyes. This thought provoking presentation invites students to ask questions of the presenters. Every school Administrator has been impressed how this presentation is the talk for days afterwards.
Each school will be provided the opportunity to have a reminder sign stating" Make the Right Choice Today" installed on school property in a strategic location after the presentation.
Kress & Associates can present the "Drug and Alcohol Awareness: The Value of Making the Right Choices Program" to one thousand eighty nine (1089) secondary students for the cost of incarcerating one (1) prisoner for a period of one year. For the same cost of incarcerating ninety-one (91) individuals for a period of one year, this program can be presented to 100,000 secondary students. It is time to be proactive in our priorities.