Scottish Independent Media

By Claire Elliot

SHE spent most of her teenage years in and out of prison but Susan Cameron is finally turning her life around.

The 24-year took to drink and drugs at a young age to block out the horrors of abuse she suffered as a child.

She became a known violent offender to police and had a string of convictions, including assault on a police officer.

But, after more than 10 prison sentences between the ages of 16 and 20, Miss Cameron decided it was time to leave her life of crime behind.

And, having stayed on the right side of the law since she was released in 2004, she said she has now been asked to help the police by giving talks to youngsters about her experiences in an attempt to steer them away from the mistakes she made.

Miss Cameron, of Aberdeen, who still bares scars on her arm from when she used to self harm, said: “I feel totally ashamed and sorry for what I’ve done.

“In my teenage years I thought I was doing the normal thing, going out drinking and getting into trouble. It was very minor. Then it progressed to getting into trouble when I was over 16. I ended up in remand and had quite a few sentences.

“I was a known violent offender to the police. I was very angry and I just took it out on people and the police bore the brunt of my actions.

“If someone looked at me the wrong way that was all it took, I was quite fiery. But I realise now that not everyone is out to hurt you.”

She started drinking when she was just 14 and went on to experiment with a cocktail of drugs.

When she was 17 she lost her job as a care assistant as a result of her constant offending.

But she said: “I made up my mind that I didn’t want that life anymore. I didn’t like who I was and I wasn’t happy.”

And while serving her final prison sentence she conquered her drug and alcohol problem and took part in programmes to prepare her for the outside world.

She admitted, however, it was not easy.

“When I got out in 2004 there was not much support at all,” she said.

“I just stayed in my flat. I was determined to give up offending and really wanted to stay away from trouble so I just stayed in 24/7.”

Eventually she signed up for a 20-day residential course with Venture Trust, which was set up to help vulnerable young people, before taking part in a in the Prince’s Trust team programme in June last year.

During the three-month programme she was nominated for the Trust’s Young Achiever of the Year Award, which she went on to win.

Miss Cameron, who is now a volunteer with the Trust, said: “It’s great to be able to help people who have been in a similar situation as myself.

“I never thought I’d ever be in this position. With the life I was living, I thought I’d be dead.

“It’s not easy leaving that old life behind, the familiarity of the things you know.

“But it’s not a life anyone would have chosen, I just fell into it.

“It’s hard to get out of it but if you want to do it you will. Now I feel I'm as good as anyone else."

She has been tea-total and free from drugs for five years and has not been in trouble with the law since being released from prison in 2004, aged 20.

Miss Cameron is still unable to secure employment as she is signed off with depression, anxiety and post-traumatic stress.

But her plan is, following her voluntary work with the Prince‘s Trust, to train as an instructor with Adventure Aberdeen, the city council’s newly rebranded outdoor education service.

She has also been asked to help Grampian Police with its youth initiative by talking to youngsters about her experiences.

Miss Cameron, said: “The only stability I had was when I was in prison.

“But I’ve proved to myself that I can better myself. I've got a supportive family and really good friends so it's all good.

“I now want to educate young people about the mistakes I’ve made and steer them away from what I did.”