Preventing Kids From Becoming Cons

Media Releases from members of Sources.
To submit a news release, use this form.

Preventing Kids From Becoming Cons

March 19, 2012

TORONTO, Canada (March 19, 2012) - Faced with increasing public anxiety about youth crime, two of North America's leading crime prevention champions have partnered to produce a groundbreaking conference where world renowned experts will discuss how we can prevent today's high risk child from becoming tomorrow's dangerous criminal and prison convict.

Presented by Michael C. Chettleburgh of Astwood Strategy Corporation and Dr. Leena Augimeri of Child Development Institute, the 2012 Kids Not Cons Summit will be held from March 21-23 in Toronto and will feature the participation of more than 350 delegates and two dozen crime prevention pioneers from around the world, including Dr. David Farrington from Cambridge University and Dr. Rolf Loeber from the University of Pittsburgh.

"With the annual costs associated with the Canadian criminal justice system now exceeding $100 billion and growing, it has never been more important to focus on the identification and treatment of children experiencing conduct challenges," said Chettleburgh, Astwood's CEO and Canada's leading gang expert. "We can't arrest our way out of the youth crime problem, so with this Summit our goal is to show that there is much we can do to prevent tomorrow's criminal and gang member".

According to Augimeri, who has worked with high risk children for more than 25 years and helped develop the internationally acclaimed Stop Now and Plan (SNAP) program for children 6 to 11 years old in conflict with the law, the evidence is clear that we can predict tomorrow's criminal and therefore stop youth crime well before it happens.

"We have seven years of warning from the time a child is six or seven years old, to the time he or she enters the criminal justice system," says Augimeri. "Aside from the obvious public policy benefits of preventing crime in the first place and saving millions of dollars, taking a proactive approach in this regard is also about the health of families and that of our entire country".

The Summit will be opened by Ontario Ministry of Children and Youth Services Deputy Minister George Zegarac. Says Zegarac, "We are very pleased to participate in the Kids Not Cons Summit because sharing best practice information about preventing children from entering the justice system is key to better outcomes for these children and youth". The 2012 Kids Not Cons Summit will open at 8:30 am on March 21, 2012 at the DoubleTree by Hilton Toronto Airport Hotel, 655 Dixon Road. To find out more details, please visit www.kidsnotcons.com

Astwood Strategy Corporation
Established in 1992, Astwood Strategy Corporation is a leading North American criminal justice research, evaluation and strategy consultancy that serves government departments, municipalities, police services, First Nations communities, national and provincial associations, social services agencies and other organizations committed to preventing and reducing crime and victimization. Astwood has renowned expertise with children and youth in conflict with the law or involved with gangs, and offers a full range of solutions including program evaluation, crime prevention strategy development, gang exit programming and professional training and development. For more information, see www.astwood.ca.

Child Development Institute
Child Development Institute (CDI) is a multi-service, not-for-profit accredited children?s mental health centre, located in Toronto, Ontario. CDI has provided a range of programs and specialized family-centred services to children under 12 years of age and their families for more than a 100 years. CDI?s staff, consultants and volunteers work with community-based professionals from police services, schools, shelters, early learning centers, children's mental health centres and child welfare agencies to serve more than 3,000 children and their families annually. For more information, see www.childdevelop.ca.

For more information contact:
Michael C. Chettleburgh
President
Astwood Strategy Corporation
Phone: (416) 568-2564
Email: mc@astwood.ca

Click here to view our Sources Listing:

Michael C. Chettleburgh - Astwood Strategy Corporation

Topics:

To submit a news release, use this form

Use the News Releases Topic Index for releases by topic

Use the Sources Subject Index for experts and spokespersons

Sources home page

Media Resources