caused to be prepared. With your permission, I would like to ask that that be inserted in the record at this point. It is published by the American Parents Committee. Mr. HECHT. I would be delighted to have you do so. (The document referred to follows:) You can help to persuade Congress to pass the "JUVENILE DELINQUENCY CONTROL PROJECTS" BILL Senator Lister Hill with Senator Joseph S. Clark and Representative Carl Elliott have joined in sponsoring the JUVENILE DELINQUENCY CONTROL PROJECTS BILL which they feel can make an effective start toward the solution of the Nation's juvenile delinquency control problems. In introducing their bill, they declared: "We are convinced that a start must be made to aid States Their bill would provide $5,000,000 a year for five years to help finance projects to demonstrate or develop techniques and practices for the prevention, diminution, and treatment of juvenile delinquency. The bill has been hailed by national organizations and recognized authorities in fields related to juvenile delinquency as a practical and soundly conceived approach to the problem. This widespread public support, in combination with the able leadership of Senator Hill and Representative Elliott, should ensure quick passage of the bill. BASIC FACTS ABOUT JUVENILE DELINQUENCY Juvenile crime in the United States is increasing and has reached emergency proportions in many communities. Last year, 3/4 million youngsters under 18 were arrested and many others were involved in offenses which did not result in arrests. If juvenile delinquency continues to increase we can expect that by 1962 one million of our teenagers will be arrested each year. The violence and seriousness of the acts of many of these youngsters is causing great national concern. Juvenile courts report that juvenile delinquency has continued to increase for the 9th consecutive year. About one-half million children were brought before the Juvenile courts during 1957. During the 9-year period (1948-57) the rise in cases of juvenile delinquency was five times as great as the increase in the population of children of court age (10-17) during the same period. There has been an increase in both the number and proportion of children involved in juvenile delinquency! The time has come for a great nationwide effort to check this growing problem of Juvenile crime and delinquency. The H111-Elliott Bill would provide an important start. The bill includes a declaration by the United States Congress that "juvenile delinquency is a steadily mounting problem of nationwide proportions in both urban and rural communities, and that more concerted and intensive efforts to discover, and to disseminate, means of controlling such problems are vitally needed. " A NATIONAL EFFORT: The bill would provide $5,000,000 a year for five years to help finance a concerted national effort leading to a solution of the Nation's juvenile delinquency control problems. Public and private agencies would be encouraged to develop projects which "hold promise of making a substantial contribution to the solution of Juvenile delinquency control problems in all or several States or toward meeting juvenile delinquency problems of special national significance or concern." The Secretary of Health, Education and Welfare would make grants to pay part of the cost of carrying out such projects. He could also enter into contracts with public or private agencies for this purpose. NATIONAL ADVISORY COUNCIL: A National Advisory Council on Juvenile Delinquency consisting of 12 recognized authorities in the field would review and recommend proposed projects. The Council would include persons from both public and voluntary organizations concerned with juvenile delinquency. ELIGIBLE PROJECTS: The definition of eligible projects is broad enough to cover a wide variety of projects. In the words of the bill "Projects shall be eligible for assistance under this Act which will demonstrate or develop techniques and practices for the prevention, diminution, and treatment of juvenile delinquency and which, in the judgement of the Secretary, hold promise of making a substantial contribution to the solution of juvenile delinquency control problems in all or several States or toward meeting juvenile delinquency problems of special national significance or concern." EVALUATION: One of the most important aspects of the bill are its provisions for the widespread dissemination of information about successful ways of meeting the problem of Juvenile delinquency. Accordingly, the bill requires that the Secretary of Health, Education, and Welfare "shall make periodic reports for public distribution as to the methods, results, and values of various projects for juvenile delinquency control." At the end of the 5-year program he would also make a final report to Congress which would include an overall description and evaluation of the contributions of the program to the solution of the Nation's juvenile delinquency control problems. The Washington Post Youth Crime Old Story to Congress By Malvina Lindsay THE CHILD population of the United States, which soon will begin another spurt upward, will inevitably produce not only more customers for goods and more future scientists, but also more juvenile delinquents. Hence groups concerned with children's welfare are asking: Will this Congress really come to grips with any delinquency legislation? Numerous bills have been introduced in recent sessions of Congress and hearings have been held widely by investigating committees, but relatively little has been done on a national scale to prevent and combat growing juvenile crime. Yet during the nine years from 1948 to 1957 the rise in cases of juvenile delinquency was five times as great as the increase in the population of children of court age-10 to 17. The Government answer to this so far has been mainly to investigate and publish the facts. Although "research" has become a magic word in relation to weapons, disease, industrial products, it has failed to rouse congressional interest as means of preventing and treating delinquency. SOME Government agencies, as the Children's Bureau, have had small appropriations for studies in this field. But there has been no Government backing for what is known as cooperative research-the granting of contracts to universities and other nonprofit agencies for research projects. Also greatly needed in meeting this national problem are more trained specialists. This lack was pointed out in the United Nations report of last July on delinquency problems in North America. This survey also found a lack of systematic and coordinated planning in delinquency programs, both in the United States and Canada. One reason for this-in this country at least is fear of Federal intrusion into local affairs. One result has been THURSDAY, JANUARY 8, 1959 failure to cope with interstate crime. Moreover, if, as the U. N. survey points out, "the roots of delinquency run deeply into the soil of American culture," a nationwide approach toward understanding the why of this is nec essary. Legislation concerned with juvenile delinquency will be introduced early in this session of Congress. The Senate Judiciary Subcommittee to Study Juvenile Delinquency, which has been mak ing investigations since 1953, is scheduled to make a complete report, including recommendations for legislation, at the end of this month. 2N GROUPS interested in the delinquency problem hope to have a bill offered that will be simple enough to appeal to public understanding and support. The House of Representatives has been charged with being the stumbling block to past delinquency legislation. But a bigger stumbling block has been public indifference. No real public pressure has been exerted in behalf of the bills that would have helped communities to strengthen their youth programs and to train specialists. What such pressure can do was illustrated in the passage of the humane slaughter act. One reason for public indifference is that juvenile delinquency is a big and complex problem and no quick tangible cure-alls can be offered. Also there is such a wide variety of "medicine man prescriptions" and of vague moral proposals on the "make-the-parents-behave" model that many citizens feel confused and helpless about concrete action. In a recent resume of the best information and theories concerning delinquency prepared for the Association for Supervision and Curricular Development of the National Education Association, by Bernice Milburn Moore, of the Hogg Foundation for Mental Health, ft was pointed out that delinquency has no single cause. "Rather," says Dr. Moore, "it is an end product of a variety of situations, attitudes, motives, personality characteristics and other personal and social factors." While between 95 and 98 per cent of school children are normal personalities, reasonably healthy and law-abiding, the juvenile delinquency problem is "both real and intense," the booklet says. Certainly it is big enough and serious enough to require a coordinated national attack. Both the causes and costs of youth crime reach beyond city, county and state boundaries, 41638-59-9 I. II. III. IV. POINTS IN FAVOR OF THIS BILL It is easy to understand, easy to explain. Actually, it has the single purpose of encouraging and helping leaders in the field of juvenile delinquency control to accelerate their efforts to find practical solutions to our most pressing problems in this field. It provides Federal financial assistance for two types of projects: A. Projects to demonstrate known techniques and practices. These "demonstration projects" carried on in various parts of the country would provide a kind of nation-wide laboratory where existing techniques and practices would be tested to determine their value for the Nation as a whole or parts of the country. B. Projects to develop new techniques and practices. These would be essentially operational research projects combining action, It should have the support of all public and private All organizations and agencies with programs concerned with juvenile delinquency It follows a pattern which is successful in other fields. It is sponsored by able Congressional leadership. Senator Hill is chairman of the Senate Committee on Labor and Public Welfare and Senator Clark is chairman of its subcommittee which has jurisdiction over juvenile delinquency legislation in the Senate. Representative Elliott is chairman of the House Subcommittee on Special Education which held extensive hearings on this subject in the last Congress. During the 85th Congress they jointly championed the successful campaign to pass the National Defense Education Act and other legislation for the benefit of children and youth. Their joint sponsorship of the JUVENILE DELINQUENCY CONTROL PROJECTS BILL holds great promise for its success. |