Turning points
By Michael Johnson, Editor
"You can lead a kid to water but you can’t make him drink," were the words that hit home for Washburn sophomore Brett Schreiner. He, along with about 40 other teenagers and parents from the area, were packed into the conference room of the McLean County Law Enforcement Center to hear the words of deep regret that four inmates had to share with anyone who would listen. They had hope that they could stop them from making the same mistakes, that the youth would take their advice to heart. The words that Schreiner remembers came from inmate Duane Sharp who was spending time in the jail for delivery of drugs. "I was going to church twice a week," Sharp said. "Everything was good until I got mixed in the wrong crowd." When he had trouble finding friends at his school in Bismarck, he was accepted by some teens that were using drugs. When he smoked marijuana for the first time, his life took a turn that he couldn’t back out of. It would take the brick walls of a prison to set him straight. The other inmates all got started down their own road.
