Evening star., 1953-10-31

Central Registry
OF De|inquents
Here Pushed
Spencer Seeks to
Bridge Objections Of
Juvenile Court


Welfare Director Gerard M.
Shea and Commissioner Samuel
Spencer will pursue the idea of a
central registry of delinquent
children here, the Public Wei.
fare Advisory Council was as
sured yesterday,
The registry was proposed as a
possible guide for community
planning and in administering
programs for treatment and con-
troll Of delinquency.
Mr.. Shea advised the council
that Juvenile Court Judge Edith
H. Cockrill has expressed the
opinion the Juvenile Court law
would prevent the court from
routinely registering the names
Of children known to the court"
But he said Mr.. Spencer indi-
Gated to him he believes there is
some possibility Of working the
matter out to the satisfaction Of
all concerned. He told the coun-
Gil the subject will be pursued.
Method Not Clear.
Mr.. Spencer told reporters he
does not know exactly how this
might be done but that he thinks
Mr.. Shea has "a good idea. and
we ought to be able to work out
something that agrees with Judge
Cockrill's feeling of protecting
names Of the parties in her
court"
The commissioner said he will
talk further with the judge about
the matter. He said that, as he
understands it, she has the dis
cretion to divulge names, if she
thinks it is all right to do so.
Ferdinand v. Grayson, execu-
tive director of United Commu-
nifty Services. called on Mr..
Spencer yesterday but would
not disclose his mission. He
carried a copy of the Juvenile
Court statute. which contains a
section providing that the direc-
tor of social work should, in as
sociation with other social agen-
cies, study sources and causes
OF delinquency and help in de-
veloping COMMUNICATIVE plans
for prevention and treatment.
School Officials Hear Plans.
Mr.. Shea told the council
about his discussion of the reg
iStry plan with various officials,
including those of the schools.
He said the latter "are particu-
larly anxious that the registry
record should never be allowed
to become a black mark against
any child"
The Children's Bureau repre-
Sentatives also stressed this point.
he said. The bureau representa-
tives agreed with us that the
absence of Juvenile Court rec
erds would greatly diminish the
value of any such registry and
would raise serious question as to
whether the results would be
worth the time and effort in
volved," the welfare director
added.
Fred Kogod, vice chairman Of
the Advisory Council, declared,
in supporting the registry idea.
that "if we're going to cure
something, we've got to know all
about it,"
On another phase of the de-
linquency problem, Mr.. Shea re-
ported to the council that it
appears the Juvenile Court Act
provides for the prosecution Of
parents, if it is found they have
not fulfilled their responsibility
toward their children and have
thus contributed to their delin-
quency.
Cites Legislation.
He pointed out, however, that
Legislation for the prosecution
of parents or other adults con-
tributing to the delinquency or
neglect of minor children has
been in force throughout the
country for many years.
There is not at the present
time any reliable evidence that
Furnishing parents has any effect
upon the curbing of juvenile de-
linquency," he added.
Council Member George c.
Fleming suggested that there
should be some way Of keeping
children in the 3-to-12 age
bracket off the streets at night.
High Level of Assistance.
Donald D. Brewer, assistant
welfare director, reported that
public assistance cases have been
running high since May and that
the budget was being overspent
by $2,100 month.
1--WE are feeling the unemploy-
ment in Washington, not in
terms of the recipients them
selves, but in terms of relatives
contributing or who have con-
tributed to them in the past"
he said.
In other reports Mr.. Shea told
the council there is a waiting
list of 95 for the District Train
ing School and that I'VE have
made virtually no inroads on
this very aggravated, serious and
too-long-neglected problem"
He said a large number Of
the children in the school are
trainable and that it is possible
that, if a school request for
specialized training for this type
of child is granted, a number Of
the children might not have to
be committed to the institution.