Former gang member/addict shares experience with area youth

Richard Osborne spends much of his time speaking to youth about the dangers of drugs, gangs and prison. Today he shared his experiences and lessons with students at Scollard Hall Secondary School.

Richard Osborne grew up in a good family, yet one poor decision was all it took to fall into nearly 30 years of heroin use, federal incarceration, gang violence and mental trauma.

At 14 Osborne was a heroin addict; at 16 a street gang member; at 17 an outlaw biker and one of Canada’s most wanted, and at 21 a federal convict. He has been shot, four times seriously; stabbed countless times, not to mention gang fights, drug trafficking and self mutilation.

Osborne spent 24 years (1978-2003) of his life in prison and at 46, left prison for the last time.

Here was a man with, literally, no care or hope. But, Osborne is an anomaly.

“My life was nearly over, but I managed to redeem myself. Normally, people don’t get to change their identity the way I have,” Osborne said to an assembly of teenagers today, at Scollard Hall Secondary School.

He spends much of his time speaking to youth about the dangers of drugs, gangs and prison, as well as about the destructiveness of today’s youth gang culture.

“When I talk to kids they see my tattoos and I think they feel like I’m real. That I have talked the talk and walked the walk, so they can grab real experience from me,” Osborne said.

Osborne feels inspired to talk to youth about gangs and drug abuse largely because he started down that road in grade nine.

“People who abuse drugs and exhibit gang-like behaviour have agendas and motives. They look for people to prey on. I urge everyone to understand and know your values, so you have the power to defend yourself,” Osborne said.

Jeff Griffith of The North Bay Drug Awareness Committee and presentation coordinator said, “This is the kind of first-hand experience you can’t learn form a book.”

“Rarely does someone survive Rick's past with both the ability and the motivation to make a difference in so many young lives.”

Osborne is now married and has three step-sons and a six year old daughter named Hannah. He is uniquely qualified with a B.A. in Psychology from Queen’s University and an Addiction Care-worker Diploma from McMaster University.

Osborne said the turning point for him was shortly after an incident with the hells angels. In 1993 Osborne was released from jail only to return six months later to serve another 10 years.

“I was out of jail and back to doing what was familiar to me. At the time I belonged to a group called the Outlaws, who were warring with the Hell’s Angels.”

Osborne continued, “One night I was out on my Harley and a van pulled up beside me with Hell’s Angel members inside… They shot and the bullet fractured my helmet, cut me up and rendered me unconscious while going 100km/hr on my motorcycle. I smashed into a parked car and when I was arrested the police found a gun and an ounce-and-a-half of cocaine in my possession.”

Back behind bars and in maximum security someone slipped Osborne three grams of black-tar heroin.

Osborne sat in his cell alone and psychologically messed up planning to take the heroin and end his life, but something happened.

“I heard my dad’s voice in my mind saying, if it’s all lost ask God to help you out. The next day I flushed the heroin down the toilet; I was a junkie. It took me a while to understand what I was feeling but I realized it was hope,” Osborne said.

Osborne explained the aftermath of that decision as an incredible journey. Within the year he went from maximum security to a drug treatment facility, which is unheard of.

Osborne then started meeting with a professor from Queen’s University and while he was in medium security Osborne met his future wife.

“God just seemed to have this huge plan and I knew nothing of it,” he said.