UBC professor Chris Schneider gives keynote address on crime, media and fear
What: Community Forum — Building Healthy Communities: Combating Fear and Stigma, Eliminating Barriers and Promoting Success for Multi Needs Individuals
Who: John Howard Society, in partnership with UBC’s Okanagan campus, the United Way of the Central & South Okanagan/Similkameen and Pushor Mitchell LLP
When: Wednesday, Sept. 26, 1 – 5 p.m.
Where: Mary Irwin Theatre, Rotary Centre for the Arts, 421 Cawston Ave., Kelowna
A free public forum addressing the fear and stigma facing multi-needs individuals and the impact it has on our community will be held Wednesday, Sept. 26.
Multi-needs individuals are persons experiencing health and social issues, including poverty, homelessness, mental illness, and substance misuse issues, who become involved or are at risk of becoming involved in the criminal justice system because of these underlying issues and the fact that they remain unaddressed.
The forum features a panel of experts from criminal justice, the judicial system, criminology, and media.
Its focus is to inform the public on issues that arise for complex populations when they’re faced with barriers directly related to the fear and stigma associated with their vulnerable status.
Through discussion, panelists will to break down the obstacles that perpetuate fear, which can prevent individuals accessing the resources they require to maintain physical, mental and emotional health. The ultimate goal is to establish better support networks for multi-needs people that help them avoid contact with the justice system.
The keynote address will be given by Christopher Schneider, assistant professor of sociology at UBC’s Okanagan campus. Schneider’s research investigates mass-media messages about crime, deviance, and information technologies in everyday life. His keynote address will provide an overview of the research on crime and media and connect it to the broader implications it has on the construction of a fear-oriented framework.
Other panelists include journalist Kent Molgat from CTV; Chris Thomson, president of the British Columbia Criminal Justice Association; and Provincial Court Judge Anne Wallace.
The event is free and open to the public, although registration is encouraged. Please email RSVP to info@jhscso.bc.ca.
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