Recipe For A Healthier Society

I know this is not a political story, or a soveriegnty issue, but I thought that it was refreshing. Also if we can stop concentrating on locking up our youth and actually prepare them for life, what a wonderful world it could be!

---
If I stand for my country today...will my country be here to stand for me tomorrow?

I for one am pleased to see a proactive model displayed.<br />
<br />
Let's hear some success stories.<br />
<br />
What kind of Society do we want?<br />
We pretty much got the disatisfaction quotion topped up, so we won't be needing any more of that thank you very much.<br />
<br />
Continue a diologue in the direction of social capital venture centers through out Canada.<br />
<br />
Cut the read tape by implimenting Erneto Sirolli's works<br />
<br />
Dream Killers censored<br />
<br />
That has been the national psychosis<br />
<br />
Bravo To the thread originator <br />
<a href="http://www.sirolli.com/">http://www.sirolli.com/</a><p>---<br>"The cost to the good people for their indifference to their public affairs is to be ruled by evil men." - Plato

Great stuff!

I don't want to sound like a wet blanket, but there are a couple of items missing that would sell me on the idea.

What is the rate of students that reoffend?
What is the cost of the program? Even if run by volunteers, this costs money
How does the cost and repeat offender rate compare to standard juvenille detention over a similar sample?
What percentage of "graduates" go on to escalated crime as opposed to kids who get sentenced to probation, community service or fines?

Good for these people for trying something new. They need to be applauded and encouraged. And if it is a successful type of enterprise, it should be expanded and grown. I'd just like to know if it works and who (if anyone) is trying to determine that.

I believe the story said it cost $200.00 per kid, as for the rest of the questions, I am not sure how you could get those stats. But I do believe that teaching kids real life skills, building their self-esteem, can never be a bad thing. These kids often commit crime to get recognition, to feel they belong somewhere, even if it is in a gang, at least they belong. We need to stop the cycle. I think society has reacted in fear to crime, and just wants bad kids locked up and forget them, and that is a real problem.

If you think about it, most people in their youth did something that they wouldn't be proud of as an adult, and if they don't get caught, they never think of it again. Just think about the things most adults laugh about around a campfire or after a few drinks, say toilet papering a house, turning over garbage cans, shoplifting on a dare, playing nicky nicky nine doors, or prank phone calls, breaking windows....on and on....If someone in the neighborhood saw you they might make you do chores to make up for your stupidity, and you would do it, gladly.

If you are over 40 or if you grew up in a small town, think about it like this; if you got into trouble, or were seen doing something wrong, the neighbor or passerby would scold you. You paid attention for a couple of reasons, one you didn't want them telling your parents, two you respected them because you saw them everyday in the neighborhood, you might have had dinner at their house, or knew their kids or whatever.

But today, if they get caught, all hell breaks lose and they get labelled,criminal, and throw the book at them. The end result is they feel like poop, they are made to feel like the lowest of the low, and there is no hope for them, so they continue downwards. If we could get the community together, as this article suggests, maybe kids wouldn't see life as a negative.

Today the kids don't know their neighbors, don't interact with the adults in the community, many don't have parents at home, because they are working like dogs to put food on the table. If you see the world through their eyes, it would appear that we don't really care about our youth, and if they see it that way, why would they care for the rest of us??

Here is an idea, what if a community was to start using schools, which taxpayers pay for anyway, after hours, for spontaneous sporting events, adults from the community drop by and youth as well, they form teams interact and have some exercise and fun. Could it be done? I don't see why not. Then you wouldn't have kids hanging around the 7-11 bored, and full of energy. They might even be tired enough to go home to bed at a decent hour and show up for school alert the next day. Well it is an idea.

---
If I stand for my country today...will my country be here to stand for me tomorrow?

hi. I work with the PACT program. First of all, thanks to Whelan for posting <br />
the story.<br />
<br />
Second you all raise some good questions.<br />
<br />
Michael Strong asked:<br />
"What is the rate of students that reoffend?<br />
How does the cost and repeat offender rate compare to standard juvenile <br />
detention over a similar sample?<br />
What percentage of "graduates" go on to escalated crime as opposed to kids <br />
who get sentenced to probation, community service or fines?"<br />
<br />
--<br />
The program has graduated two groups of kids and the statistical sample size <br />
is too small to know for sure. But we are working on a logic model to <br />
determine a number of indices. <br />
<br />
However, the cooking school is one of several steps of a holistic program so <br />
many of those questions cannot be applied on the cooking program only. <br />
PACT is an overall program of restorative justice that includes aboriginal style <br />
victim-offender healing circles, several community service projects (cooking <br />
school, film school, urban reforestation, farm in the city) and a one-year <br />
Lifeplan coaching program for the most upstream, recidivist youth. <br />
<br />
The overall program is part of a catchall called restorative justice. Different <br />
studies of restorative justice conferencing programs (including a sampling of <br />
PACT’s predecessor in Nanaimo BC run by the RCMP) have seen as much as a <br />
90% reduction in recidivism.<br />
<br />
Having said that, the most reliable key indices to determine recidivism, and to <br />
determine likelihood for more serious offences are actually A) size of family <br />
and B) how many parents are present for the youth...However, beware an over <br />
emphasis on the recidivism (reoffence) statistic. One thing is that it almost <br />
impossible to properly control for recidivism stats, so criminologists often <br />
feel that it is the wrong index to search for --as opposed to cost, victim <br />
satisfaction, etc) <br />
<br />
PACT is working on a logic model through York University to determine <br />
causation and outcome on a number of different indices (including recidivism, <br />
because, despite the question of statistical reliability, it is also the "sexy" <br />
number" that some people need to see) so we should know more in 6 months <br />
on many issues <br />
<br />
- However, in the meantime, we do know some interesting things. <br />
<br />
1. Canada has one of the harshest young offender systems in the western <br />
world. The Canadian Judicial system incarcerates its young offenders at 10 <br />
times the rate of its adult population and twice the rate of American young <br />
offenders.<br />
<br />
2. 43% of young offenders who are convicted will be charged again within 1 <br />
year of their sentencing date. <br />
<br />
3. Programs such as PACT save the taxpayers money<br />
-The direct financial costs paid for by the system and the community out of <br />
the taxpayer’s pocket related to the offender: <br />
-the average court cost to process one young offender $ 2,500 <br />
-the annual open custody cost for one young offender $ 5,000<br />
-the annual closed custody cost of one young offender $100,000 <br />
<br />
-this does not take into account massive indirect cost of policing, legal aid, <br />
counselling and probation and financial costs to the victim and the <br />
community <br />
<br />
Social entrepreneurship is all about a movement of social investors devoted <br />
to using business principles to solve social dilemmas. Their aim is to use <br />
their business acumen, experience, networks and influence to reach the <br />
elements of society that government policy programs do not reach – taking <br />
maximum strain off the public system.<br />
<br />
4. Programs such as PACT help streamline the justice system<br />
PACT frees up the court resources so Crowns, judges and probation can deal <br />
successfully with the most serious youth, thereby applying the appropriate <br />
resources to the murder cases and cases of serious violence. PACT is <br />
designed to get to offenders early and erode the foundation for criminal and <br />
violent behaviour. <br />
<br />
5. PACT has been endorsed by the UN Secretary General’s Study on Violence <br />
Against Children. PACT’s main victim-offender program was attended by Kofi <br />
Annan’s handpicked independent expert. His comments in the Globe and Mail <br />
included: <br />
<br />
"its one of the most remarkable processes I have ever witnessed."<br />
<br />
and <br />
<br />
"I think that PACT can address more successfully child<br />
and youth offences. It is a very painful process, but hopeful," <br />
<br />
--Paulo Sergio Pinheiro, UN Secretary-General's<br />
independent expert on violence against children.<br />
Globe and Mail.<br />
<br />
In terms of stats, Once we have finished our statistical study, we will post the <br />
stats on the PACT website. <br />
<br />
In the meantime, I like what Whelan says about "teaching kids real life skills, <br />
building their self-esteem," that is something these kids don't get much of. <br />
<br />
- they learn about nutrition and about how to avoid junk food, and how to <br />
cook and shop - which is all very empowering<br />
-Contribution is key--the kids give back to the community through personal <br />
contribution (the kids plan, shop for and cook a 3 course meal for a group of <br />
local seniors)<br />
<br />
I urge you to look at the PACT website <a href="http://www.pactprogram.ca">http://www.pactprogram.ca</a> <br />
The website is freshly stacked with support from Judges in the form of <br />
videos, a 15 minute documentary (with supportive quotes from Crown <br />
attorneys and a York Professor) a 5-minute video testimonial from Chief <br />
Justice McMurtry, and countless media stories in support (on the media page)<br />
<br />
Nothing is a panacea, PACT included. But it is about trying a positive and <br />
fresh approach of youth justice; it's about the community taking charge and <br />
filling the gap between Gov't programs and social need.<br />
<br />
Best regards<br />
Terance Brouse<br />
PACT <br />
<br />
<br />

Sounds like a great program. Congratulations and thank you to all the PACT staff and especially Marjorie Agnew for the cooking school.

Frank

Thank you Terance for sharing this inforamtion, I can't tell you how pleased I am to read this, we need to incorporate more of this all across Canada. I also would like to see more preventative programs, so that our youth don't get into the situations which make crime so attractive.

---
If I stand for my country today...will my country be here to stand for me tomorrow?

thanks Frank.

i have passed your comments on to Marjorie.

best regards
terance brouse
PACT

thanks whelan.

a stiitch in time...
you know the rest.

best regards
terance brouse
PACT