Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1954-06-28
Hendrickson
Raps Tough
Juvenile Policy
Senator Sees Peril
In Rover Plan for
TriuI of Offenders
By chorIes G. Brooks

Chairman Hen0r1cKSOn OF the
Senate Juvenile Delinquency
Subcommittee warned today
that get tough" policies with
juvenile delinquents are endan-
gering effective rehabilitation.
Speaking at a national con-
ference on the subject, spon-
sored by the Department of
Health, Education and Welfare,
the New Jersey Republican sin
gled out the District as a place
where "get tough" policies now
being advanced are not going to
solve the problem.
The Senator attacked re-
quest by United States Attorney
Leo A. Rover, which would re-
move from the Juvenile Court its
authority to waive certain cases
to the criminal court and place
the power in his Office.
Three-Day Conference.
He told the 400 juvenile court
judges, SociologiSts and others
attending the three-day confer
ence which opened this morning
that:
considerable publicity about
the miSdeeds of juveniles here
has resulted in many demands
to get tough One result of
these demands was the introduc-
ton of legislation in the United
States Congress which would re-
move from the juvenile court it's
authority to waive certain cases
to the criminal court and place
this power in the hands of the
United States Attorney. This
would result, its opponents as
sumo, in more juveniles being
waived to criminal courts.
Agitation for this change has
utterly ignored the fact that in
the District of Columbia our
criminal courts have less avail
able to them in terms of treat
ment resources than our Juvenile
Court. But forget treatment, we
are urged. The more serious
older offenders areAnot children
but adults who should be pun
ished. This appeal to blind re-
lance upon punishment to re-
form ignores everything we
have learned about human be-
havior since the dawn of the
social sciences.
Gains by Publicity.
"Of course, publicity given the
problem of juvenile delinquency
in the District of Columbia has
brought forth some gains. But
I emphasize that it has also
brought negatives in it's wake
Surely in our cries of fire. we
must least calculate the dangers
of stimulating negative action
unless and until we are in a posi-
ton to provide more effective
leadership"
He then called for "a meeting
of the minds on the right STRAIT
egg to make our attack success
full and declared that after nine
months of investigation as chair
man of his subcommittee he is
impressed by the obvious dis
parity" between what is known
ovd xr-hof &c hoiVNn dnVNn
Secretary of Health, Education
and Welfare Oveta Culp Hobby
told the conference, meeting at
the departments building, that
today a tremendous rise in juve-
nile delinquency is sending more
youngsters to court than ever
beforehand for an increasing
number of acts of violence.
It is a Shocking fact" Mrs.
Hobby declared, that statistics
show juvenile delinquency "has
grown with tremendous rapidity
during the past five years"
Secretary Hobby declared that
since juvenile delinquency stems
from both general and specific
social deficiencies effective
treatment calls for community
as well as individual action.
After this mornings opening
session at the North Building of
the Department of Health, Edu-
cation and Welfare, the $50 dele
gates were divided into IL work
groups to meet. at the depart
ment, the Raleigh Hotel and the
Interdepartmcntal Auditorium.
The work groups will discuss
specialized subjects and report
back Wednesday at general
session with recommendations
for curbing juvenile delinquency
- 10 %olyon ,,VN 1VJ tho nnfiro