We have a Board of Trustees of 36 men and women active and conversant with community problems. We employ a professional staff of 15 trained social workers, plus psychiatric and psychological consultants on an as-needed basis. Our agency budget for all these year-round services, including recreation and summer camp for our Little Brothers is $271,000 for the fiscal year which began on May 1, 1967. The cost for our service annually averages $600 per boy. Thus an important service is realized for a low per capita cost-especially when that service may forestall the long-term costs of more serious delinquency itself, In addition, we have undertaken to operate and maintain an experimental residential treatment center for 30 Little Brothers, age 12, 13, and 14. These are boys who are not responding to traditional Big Brother services and who stand in grave danger of being totally removed from the community either to a state training school, a long-term residential center, or a psychiatric hospital, A number of foundations made grants to Big Brothers, Inc. of New York, totaling almost $500,000 for the capital construction program, and we will require an additional $175,000 per year to operate the program, which will open on July 1, 1967. With the increase from this new program, our total agency budget is currently $450,000 per year. We welcome the advantages to be gained from greater coordination of planning, sharing of information and researching results, all as contemplated for each community as a prerequisite to funding under one or another of the present proposed programs. But operating funds are what we need-not new programs or new directions. Perhaps by inadvertance the Bill has been drafted in such a way as to keep agencies such as Big Brothers, Inc. out of the new programs. We hope this is not so. If this was the intent of the drafters, it may be the result of a "purist" theoretical approach by some members of the social work profession who oppose combined responsibilities of professionals and volunteers in active case work. We believe such an attitude should not bar the participation of our agency from sharing and serving in any expanded funding programs. As I indicated in my testimony, the Big Brothers idea for generations has embraced direct and fruitful collaberation between volunteers and professionals. We believe that there is a definite role for citizen participation with professionals in the field of juvenile delinquency prevention and control. Our current experience with the Big Brother program in New York City proves emphatically that important benefits can be made available to the boys whom we serve through the efforts of professionally trained personnel on our staff and the unique contribution of the continuing personal interest of stable, mature adults who are Big Brother volunteers. This leads us to the following two conclusions: (a) The involvement of interested and qualified citizen volunteers adds a dimension to our program for which there is no substitute; and (b) There is no possibility in the foreseeable future that graduate training institutions in the behavioral sciences will be able to make trained personnel available in sufficient numbers to meet the overwhelming needs of communities throughout the nation to cope with the problems of juvenile delinquency (let alone other grave social problems). Thus there must be multiplication of efforts wherever possible, and ideally with the very low cost of preventive programs utilizing volunteers such as Big Brothers. The necessity to involve stable and mature volunteers when we undertake to train, may well be a blessing in disguise in finally convincing some professionals of the need for an effective partnership between professionals and volunteers. It may well be that our experience has relevance for other programs in the fields of juvenile delinquency, broken families and emotionally disturbed children. The problem of juvenile delinquency throughout the country has grown to be so enormous that private agencies cannot possibly finance the scope of programs our communities need without assistance from the public sector-no matter how strong our continuous fund-raising efforts are, no matter how large the endowments of the agencies may be, and no matter how great may be the support which is given to them by private philanthropy, including foundations. John W. Gardner, now Secretary of the Department of Health, Education and Welfare, while he was President of the Carnegie Foundation, often called attention to the necessity and wisdom for joint financing of social welfare programs between the various levels of government on the one hand, and private philanthropy, community chests, and individual non-profit social agencies on the other hand. We believe future expansion of services mandates acceptance of that view. My fellow Trustees and I believe that appropriate means of joint Federalprivate participation in funding must and can be found. The enormity of the social problem we exist to combat requires no less. We seek to share in the search for that goal. On behalf of my fellow Trustees, the President of my agency, as well as the professional staff and our volunteer Big Brothers, I wish to thank you once again for your courtesy and interest in inviting me to appear. If my information will have been in the least bit helpful to you, it will also have served to give hope for a socially useful and constructive future to the boys whom we presently serve and to those whom we will undoubtedly be called upon to serve in the years ahead. COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY IN THE CITY OF NEW YORK, Hon. ROMAN C. PUCINSKI, Chairman, Subcommittee on General Education, DEAR CONGRESSMAN PUCINSKI: On behalf of members of the Advisory Council and the Faculty and Staff of this School, I would like to urge that you and the members of your Committee give strong support to the passage of H.R. 6162. the Juvenile Delinquency Prevention Act of 1967. As interested citizens and as professional social workers, we know from experience that programs of delinquency prevention and treatment must be strengthened if we are to help the youth of this country grow into responsible citizenship. We believe that the provisions included in this bill will be a long step in the right direction and that the support it promises for local communities will do much to improve the quality of services for young people throughout the nation. We trust that you and your colleagues will use your good influence in beha of this legislation. Sincerely yours, FRED DELLIQUADRI, Dean. ROXBURY MULTI-SERVICE CENTER. Hon. ROMAN C. PUCINSKI, House of Representatives, Washington, D.C. DEAR CONGRESSMAN PUCINSKI: Please accept this letter as an indication of my wholehearted support for the Juvenile Delinquency Prevention Bill, House 6162 which will be heard before the Legislative Committee on May 2, 1967. I have been impressed with the work with the Office of Juvenile Delinquer y and Youth Development, of the Department of Health, Education and Welfare. and I believe that passage of House Bill 6162 will be a giant step toward carrying forward the gains achieved in the last 4 years. Therefore, I urge that your Committee act favorably on this piece of Legislation. Thank you for your consideration of this matter. Sincerely, HUBERT E. JONES, Associate Director. CHICAGO COMMONS ASSOCIATION, Hon. ROMAN C. PUCINSKI, Chairman, General Education Subcommittee, Committee on Education and Labor, Rayburn House Office Building, Washington, D.C. DEAR CONGRESSMAN: I am pleased to have your letter of April 24 with the invitation to present testimony on the Juvenile Delinquency Prevention Art of 1967. Unfortunately, the date of May 3 conflicts with several other obligations here in Chicago, and I, therefore, will be unable to come. May I use this opportunity to say that I have had an opportunity to discuss H.R. 7642 with several of my colleagues on the Technical Review Panel of the Office Tvenile Delinquency and Youth Development at HEW. They all felt that the bill was very well conceived and that its adoption would lead to a large improvement of federal activity in this area of concern. With my best wishes for success, I am Very sincerely yours, WILLIAM H, BRUECKNER. TWENTIETH JUDICIAL CIRCUIT, OFFICE OF CHIEF JUDGE, State of Illinois, April 28, 1967. Hon. ROMAN C. PUCINSKI, Chairman, General Education Subcommittee, Committee on Education and Labor, House of Representatives, Washington, D.C. DEAR MR. PUCINSKI: Thank you very much for your invitation to appear at the hearings regarding H.R. 7642. Unfortunately neither my staff members nor I will be available to appear in person at the hearings. I would like this correspondence to serve in lieu of a personal appearance. The members of the Court Services and Probation Department and I individually endorse the bill in its entirety as proposed. It has been our experience that there are many agencies, who have for years recognized the gravity of the effect of juvenile crime, and a need to work in the preventative area in particular. In this area each agency, perhaps not intentionally, has endeavored to initate its own little program. The results of this approach have been for all intent and purposes ineffective. We realistically know that a coordinated effort is needed. In effect, a federal program is not only desirable, it is a necessity. Unfortunately, the funds necessary to study the matter, much less initiate a preventative program are generally above the realm of possibility for agencies such as ours. The problem at hand is that demographic studies in our particular geographic area indicates that there will be at least six thousand more potential juvenile delinquents in our area in the next five years. And, based on this figure alone, it will take a meaningful program if we are to control at our present level in the next twenty years. Another obvious fact based upon experience is that it will cost money to even begin to approach the task. The feeling is however, with heavy outlays now it will minimize the eventual costs just for custodial care without a decrease in the incidence of juvenile delinquency. St. Clair County, Illinois, as far back as 1920 recognized the need for facility. We, at that time, passed a bond issue for the erection of a "detention home." We have had the same in operation continually since that time. It is our opinion that we are in need of a new facility. We have had an actuary study made by Southwestern Illinois Metropolitan Area Planning Commission. The results were that we are in need of a new facility; that the present facility is antiquated for the purposes of protective care for children. The problem is financing the same. The Court Services and Probation Department have endeavored to coordinate services for youths in the Children's Home by working closely with Delinquency Research Project at Southern Illinois University, Edwardsville, Illinois. It is our joint opinion that the program needed is above our financial potential at this time. It is interesting to note that we have in the period. January 1, 1967 to March 3, 1967 counseled one hundred forty four truants; three hundred twenty one delinquents and two hundred sixteen dependent children. The impact of these figures are alarming as they approach the caseload for the entire year 1964. Thanking you for your consideration, I am. Sincerely, RICHARD T. CARTER, NATIONAL COUNCIL ON CRIME AND DELINQUENCY, Congressman ROMAN C. PUCINSKI, House of Representatives, House Office Building, Washington, D.C. DEAR CONGRESSMAN PUCINSKI: Enclosed is a resolution passed by the Professional Council of NCCD at its annual meeting on June 11, 1967 in Anaheim, California in support of H.R. 6162, "The Juvenile Delinquency Prevention Act of 1967." The Professional Council is composed of 186 administrators and academicians in the country concerned with crime and delinquency. A list of its membership is also enclosed. We were delighted to have you participate in the 1967 National Institute on Crime and Delinquency and pleased that you were able to attend the meeting of the Professional Council. Cordially, RESOLUTION MILTON G. RECTOR, Director. Whereas the national concern about crime and delinquency problems has resulted in the present unprecedented efforts on the part of federal, state, and local government, private foundations, and professional organizations to resolve these problems, and Whereas the Federal government has made extensive studies with regard to crime and delinquency and has conducted extensive experimental and demonstration projects, which provide promising new insights and suggest new preventive and correctional measures, and Whereas legislation is presently pending before the Congress of the United States which would make possible the implementation and further exploration of such new methods in dealing with crime and delinquency. Be it therefore resolved, that the Professional Council of the NCCD goes or record endorsing in principle H.R. 6162 and urge its passage. Hon. ROMAN PUCINSKI, SUPERIOR COURT OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON, Chairman, Subcommittee on Education, Olympia, Wash., July 6, 1967. DEAR SIR: I am writing as Legislative Chairman of Washington State Correetional Association, former Chairman of Juvenile Section of the above and dean of Chief Probation Officers in the State of Washington, in my position as Chief Probation Officer for Thurston County, Olympia, Washington for 17 years. My immediate interest is in HR Bill 6162 which will be of assistance to Juvenile Courts carrying out the mandate of the law. It is the firm opinion of the Juvenile Courts and Probation Officers that the Courts have been a "step-child" as far as receiving aid on a local, state or national level and yet have come into considerable criticism for "fostering delinquency" by "too easy" approach when the real fact of the matter is that the Juvenile Courts have never been given the opportunity to function properly be cause of lack of staff and facilities on a local level. There has also been an opinion that by giving of extensive and increased funds to the welfare departments and more recently the Economic Opportunity Program that "delinquency will be decreased by prevention". I am certain that statistics will bear out that delinquency is on the increase both numerically and in seriousness which should deflate the ideology that prevention by welfare pro grams will cure the situation. The fact remains that youth will "get into trouble" and if the Juvenile Courts were given sufficient funds to combat delinquency in the earliest stages by sufficient staff for supervision, professional staff for treatment and adequate facilities such as detention homes, probation camps, etc. we would then have at least a chance to perform under the mandate. It is these earliest of delinquency stages that need attention. The terms "mollycoddling, slap on the wrist, fostering young criminals" which is often attributed to the Juvenile Court can only be challenged by the fact that not one Juvenile Court in the entire United States has ever been able to function properly due to lack of funds and facilities. I have attended the University of So. California Juvenile Delinquency It stitute, the Oregon State Court Seminars and have been a consultant for twi years for two week period at University of Washington Seminar on Socia Problems. Have been a member of the State Whitehouse Conference on Yout: of 1960 and have held various positions on boards for Social Welfare, Menta Health, etc. It should be understood that the Courts are by law and social order burdened with the failures of families, police, welfare agencies (both private and governmental), mental health clinics and schools and when all others have failed we are charged with correcting the situation with staff and facilities that receive only a small and in some cases none of the tax dollar to carry out our functions. May I appeal to your committee to give serious consideration to the plight of the Juvenile Courts by direct grants in order that we may have the chance that all other agencies have had to combat the growing tide of delinquency. I am sure that nationwide the Courts will welcome the challenge if for once we are given the tools to perform. It is my humble opinion, shared by others in the field, that as long as priorities are given to all other social and non-social agencies for national funds that any "criticism of the Juvenile Courts is unfounded until we have been given at least a chance". Thank you for your serious consideration of HR 6162 and pledging support to your committee. Sincerely, Hon. ROMAN C. PUCINSKI, Chairman, General Subcommittee on Education, House of Representatives, Washington, D.C. JAMES G. BUCSKO, Chief Probation Officer. COMMISSION ON CHILDREN, DEAR CONGRESSMAN PUCINSKI: We would hope that you would be able to give your favorable attention to H.R. 6162-The Juvenile Delinquency Prevention Act. You no doubt have even been getting repercussions in Washington about the very punitive efforts that have been introduced in the Illinois General Assembly to deal with the rising tide of juvenile delinquency. While many of these efforts are well intentioned, they are striking out at the delinquency instead of trying to prevent it from occurring in the first place. We are particularly interested in programs dealing with prevention of juvenile delinquency and believe H.R. 6162 would help our State immensely. The Commission on Chilren is particularly promoting two areas of consideration. One is in the area of research and the other to the area of evaluation, both of which are encompassed in H.R. 6162. Unfortunately, too many people are willing to pour money after money into the erection of correctional facilities but are unwilling to provide even meager funds for preventive work. Perhaps part of this has been due to the fact that prevention has been defined in such broad terms that it seems unrealistic. Therefore, we look with especial favor on the areas in which some real research and evaluation of current methods and programs will be possible and to the provisions for training and technical assistance. If I can furnish you with any additional material please feel free to call upon me. Sincerely, (Miss) NAOMI HIETT, Executive Director. THE GREATER DAYTON JAYCEES, SUBCOMMITTEE ON GENERAL EDUCATION, Washington, D.C. HONORABLE MEMBERS OF THE COMMITTEE: We are pleased to add the name of our organization to the long list of those already supporting the passage of H.R. 6162, "The Juvenile Delinquency Prevention Act of 1967." There are few pieces of legislation before the Congress that are more important. We have long been active in this area of youth work. The Greater Dayton Jaycees initiated a Troubled Youth program several years ago that has been adopted by the U.S. Jaycees at the national level. |