Media Advisory - December 6, 2001
Office of the Commissioner of Probation

MEDIA ADVISORY / PHOTO OPPORTUNITY

          In the wake of violence in schools throughout the state, including the stabbing death of a Springfield counselor by a student and an alarming Columbine-like plot by students at New Bedford High School, the Think Ahead Program of the Woburn District Court Probation Department and the Massachusetts Brain Injury Association urged teens to shun violence during “All Sports Night” at Burlington High School on Thursday, December 6, 2001.

          Woburn District Court Probation Officer Dennis Visconti focused specifically on brain damage suffered by victims as well as driving safety during this double–header presentation.

          One hundred student athletes and ten coaches turned out for this event where they heard from young people who suffer permanent brain injuries. As part of the Violence: Choices and Consequences Program, a survivor of a violent assault talked about how his life changed, including the impact on his social life and family’s finances. Choices and Consequences, an initiative of the Massachusetts Brain Injury Association, is a program designed for youths and young adults focusing on the relationship between violence and brain injury.

          Think Ahead is a school-based classroom/assembly program of the Massachusetts Brain Injury Association. The one-hour presentation features a talk by a brain injury survivor, film, and addresses the issues of drunk/drugged driving and speeding and safety. Visconti has been offering Think Ahead to area middle and high school students for the past three years.

          Visconti also runs the Brains at Risk Program to educate the public about brain injuries, which disable 28,000 Massachusetts residents each year. The majority of brain injury survivors are between the ages of 15 and 24, according to Visconti.