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Dylan Winter, BBC, sent this photo of his own dog, Peggy, waiting to go on her walk at his home in England.

BACK ISSUES

BBC to Broadcast Documentary about POOCH

TWO BRITISH BROADCASTERS spent several days visiting at Project POOCH in April for a BBC Radio documentary. Producer, Jolyon Jenkins, radio journalist and host, Dylan Winter, conducted interviews with the POOCH youth and Director Joan Dalton; Kennel Supervisor, Adam Bergin; MacLaren Interim Superintendent, Mike Conzoner, and researcher, Kate Davis, MSW. They also traveled to Salem where they interviewed Oregon State legislators, Senator Peter Courtney and Representative Tony Daltio.

Producer Jenkins is now back in England and in the studio editing the material he recorded here. When we learn the broadcast schedule, we will announce the information in the newsletter and here on the web site.

Documentary host, Dylan Winter, was deeply moved by his conversations with the POOCH youth. Back in Britain, he emailed a photo of his own dog along with his reflections on the experience to Joan to share with the youth. He wrote, in part:

“I know that there is no comparison between your experiences and mine at boarding school - but I was sent there by my parents when I was 11 years old - and spent the next seven years there. We slept in dormitories of 15 and in "houses" of 60... I found the never ending supervision really annoying. You had to learn to conform and kiss away your individuality. Always in a uniform - and in those days we had regulation haircuts. The food was absolutely terrible. No, I mean really horrible. A lot of cabbage, a lot of liver and endless amounts of congealed rice pudding. But we only did 10 week stretches and went home for the vacations.

A few years ago the newspapers in Britain carried a story about a businessman who was in in prison in Iran for five years. He was asked by the press how he coped with the confinement and the horrible food. He said that it was not too bad because he had been to an English boarding school. And I understood exactly what he meant.

When I got home at 7:00 in the morning after a 12 hour bum-aching plane jouney, I went to sleep for a couple of hours, and then took my own dog for a walk up to the top of the hill near to my house. I stood there in the rain trying to decide which route to take home - a choice of three - the quick one, the second is a long one over another hill and the third through some woodland - which is Peggy's favourite because there are some really interesting smells there - at least that is what her tail tells me...

I had the freedom to decide but I did what Peggy wanted me to do, and took the one through the wood. There are times when you feel that even on the outside you do not have much control over your actions - you have to get up for work, you have to do this or that because your boss tells you, or your wife expects you to, or your kids ... But there are other times when you do have the freedom to choose and spending time at MacLaren really made me appreciate what I have.

I hope that you all manage to get out of MacLaren with a clean slate, and find jobs and wives and children and dogs that make your lives complete and happy. Stick with it lads. Be strong. Above all - be good to the dogs. They need you.”

Dylan Winter

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BBC broadcaster Dylan Winter sent photos of his home in Britain to the POOCH youth and also a letter of encouragement.

MACLAREN YOUTH CORRECTIONAL FACILITY
2630 N. Pacific Highway • Woodburn, OR 97071 • 503-982-4492