Instant attraction leads to career

After meeting Deborah Hines, now her boss at Vancouver Intensive Supervision Unit (VISU), and volunteering with VISU, Lacey Jackson says she was "instantly attracted" to working there.

Before beginning her Criminology Diploma at Douglas, Lacey Jackson had never set foot in the Downtown Eastside.

"It wasn't until I physically went downtown and walked along East Hastings, down Main Street and around Oppenheimer Park, I realized that people living in the Downtown Eastside are in need of special resources," says Jackson.

As part of the Comparative Justice Systems course, Jackson and her classmates visited the Vancouver Intensive Supervision Unit (VISU). VISU helps people with mental health issues and substance abuse problems not only navigate the criminal justice system, but get basic living essentials like housing and health care, manage their finances and get to medical appointments. Its team includes mental health workers, probation officers, outreach and addictions counselors from Watari and a welfare worker.

"VISU focuses on all the issues of the client, rather than the revolving-door approach that so many past programs have had.  It's unlike any regular probation office," she explains.

With the encouragement of Criminology instructor Heidi Currie, Jackson decided to volunteer at VISU. "After one day and seeing how the program ran, I was instantly attracted to it," says Jackson, who went on to do a practicum there, then completed a Bachelor of Arts in Criminal Justice through a joint-degree program with UFV before beginning full-time work at VISU where she is a probation officer.

Jackson first came to Douglas uncertain of the direction she wanted to take. After taking a Criminology course, she was hooked. Initially, she toyed with practising law. "That dream was short lived after I realized that lawyers were not as they appeared on television," says Jackson.

She then focused her studies on criminal and psychological explanations of criminal behavior and found her niche.  "Although all aspects of the criminal justice system are important, everyone has specific interests and Douglas College allows to you explore those."

Jackson credits the college and Currie with getting her on track to a career she loves.

"Having classes with Heidi Currie made me want to focus on this area. My practicum also changed this - the more I went to my practicum at VISU the more I loved it. It was very real and very honest."

"Once the negative is stripped away and it's just you and the client, their stories and their issues, it feels good to help that person."

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