Establishing a non-judgmental learning space where you can "learn something new every time" or "be cared about" or "let my creative writing come out" [participant responses from questionnaire #1 and 2] is essential for those women who are trying to heal themselves.

In discussions, women explained how their own harm reduction strategies are intertwined with their learning and their participation in the Learning Centre. The Learning Centre at WISH is one of the few places where women can be active in their addictions and active in their learning. Most education centres, treatment programs and even jail offer upgrading but only when women are detoxed. For some women, their period of substance use is short, for some it is 15 years and for others it is life long. At WISH, women are able to use the Learning Centre as an avenue for creative self-expression and learning despite their addictions. Some women told us they began to experiment with reducing their use of drugs or alcohol while using the Learning Centre as a place to stay out of trouble or be busy and productive.

In the first questionnaire we asked women, If the WISH Learning Centre were not here, what would you be doing? Women replied:

• “Wasting my time watching TV, being bored.”
• “I’d be at home watching TV or fighting with my neighbours.”
• “More than likely I would be doing crime on the street. Definitely I would be contributing to my heroin and cocaine habit.”
• “I wouldn’t stick around WISH as long, and go back on the street.”
• “The old things I used to do, criminal offenses, steal cars, shop lift. I used to go to the other centres and get angry – take staff members by the hair, leaned on their hands – used to do mean things.”
• “I’d be out doing the wrong things.”