A FORMER drug addict safe thief who successfully turned his life around has been given the go-ahead for a pioneering programme to help others do the same.

First locked up aged 13, Alex Brewis spent the next 17 years addicted to drugs and in and out of custody for numerous offences, culminating in him stealing a safe from a pub.

But on turning 30, he decided to get clean and go straight.

Having done so, he resolved to help others and, after his release in April last year, he became the first ex-con to go back into Durham Prison to help serving inmates with drug and alcohol problems.

Now he has founded “Changeis”, a programme thought to be the first of its kind in the region, to have ex-criminals mentor troubled youths and adults at risk of offending and help newly released prisoners kick their lives of crime and be reintegrated into their community.

Mr Brewis, of Belmont, County Durham, has the backing of Durham Prison, Durham Constabulary and other agencies and hopes to launch the programme in September.

The 31-year-old said: “I want to deliver recovery and choices for people – giving everyone the chance to go back into the community.

“If it can work for me, I don’t see why it shouldn’t work for everyone. If they want it as much as I did, I’ll be behind them 100 per cent.”

Mr Brewis said his life was spiralling out of control amid increasing violence when he was given a 22-month prison sentence for the pub offence.

Having decided he wanted to “sort himself out”, he got help from Colin Lawton, who runs Durham Prison’s drug and alcohol recovery programme – which is considered to be among the best in the region and currently being rolled out to Low Newton, Holme House and Northumberland prisons.

Changeis will work with excluded youths as young as 12, children living near its base at The Hive in Ushaw Moor, troubled adults and ex-offenders.

Mr Brewis hopes to cut re-offending rates and help people find work and training.