Evening star., 1946-05-03
Suffrage Held First
Step in Correcting
Delinquency Here

The District, impeIled by iail-
breaks to improve its penal system,
has not one single up-to-date cor
rectional facility" for delinquent
juveniles.
This was the indictment of Austin
H. MacCormick, executive director
OF the Osborne Association and con-
sultant to the Undersecretary of
War, who advocated District suf-
frage as the only hope of correction
at the annual meeting of the cor
rections division of the Council
OF Social Agencies last night at
the United States Chamber of Com
merce.
THE District needs self-govern-
ment and should bring every type
OF pressure to bear on Congress to
get control of its own affairs" he
said. Il don't say that will solve
your problems. But they are your
problems, and they won't be solved
until you are equipped to solve
them"
Actual Delinquents Come First.
MIR. MacCormick complained that
"hard-headed" citizens stress pre-
vention of delinquency at the ex-
pense of treatment because "it is
something every one understands
and 1t dosen't cost too much" Com
mon sense demands that a city with
a limited budget should first take
care of the delinquents it already
has, he asserted
The corrections division, holding
an evening meeting in place of its
annual luncheon to conserve food,
presented awards to Judge Fay L.
Bentley Of Juvenile Court and Pvt.
Oliver A. Cowan, colored policeman,
for effectively stemming delinquent
tendencies in the youth of Washing
ton.
Civic leaders were advised by Mr..
Mccormick ito make those who ham
die the purse strings of Washington
feel terribly uncomfortable" until
they provide sufficient money for
construction of new receiving
home for children where youngsters
will, at least, get the proper start
toward becoming useful citizens.
Would Separate Types.
Indorsing the campaign to sepa-
rate delinquents from neglected
children, he said the institution
must be planned with great care to
separate sex cases, to keep bullies
away from the under-dogs, to pro-
vide special care for its mentally
disturbed and the youngsters re-
quiring strong discipline.
No single receiving home can do
the job, he declared In a reference
to the two Industrial Home Schools,
Mr.. Mccormick also noted the Ma
tion's Capital lacks any adequate
institution for the care of children
already committed by the Juvenile
Court.
Stressing the importance of per-
sonnel, the speaker observed that
the most encouraging action taken
to improve the penal system was
not the request for new walls but
for a professional staff equipped
to rehabilitate as well as to hold
the prisoners.
Headache" for Overlade.
]. Ellis Overlade, new acting penal
superintendent, has "taken on the
worlds greatest headache. No one
would do it except under orders" I"
Mr.. MacCormick remarked.
Chief Justice Bolitha j. Laws,
presenting a scroll to Judge Bent
ley, praised her inspiring leader
ship" of youth during the war and
pointed out that she has not even
taken a vacation during all of her
II years on the bench.
The fact that Juvenile Court is "a
social agency empowered to do a
social job for those who require
the authoritative treatment" was
attributed by Judge Bentley to the
skill of her staff.
Pvt. CoWan, was cited by G.. How
land Shaw, civic leader, for his
contribution to community relations
and originality in attacking new
problem of delinquency by organ
izing the Junior Police and Citizens
Corps in the Northwest section.