That was an eye-opener. As a front-line police officer, when I was working with people who I knew had FASD and I knew I was going to see them on a repetitive basis, it was frustrating. It was frustrating to see that revolving cycle and know there could be some level of support in the community but it just wasn't there. Different communities have different reasons for that. It's not a fault of the particular community. It's the Canadian context at times.
Once I got into the correctional environment, I saw how important my operating strategies in working with people with FASD were. This may confuse the topic a little, but I can say in some instances that the correctional environment worked out to be better for the people with FASD. They found routine, schedule, direct support, medication support, mental health support, and treatment; that correctional environment was a calming and stabilizing influence. Sometimes even bright colours—and this sounds challenging and this is why this topic is hard and at times very sad—can stimulate the brain and overactivate somebody with FASD. Prisons tend not to be very colourful environments, so at times they have a calming influence. I'm not suggesting that's the appropriate environment because of that, but at times that's the net result.