Letters, formal statements, reports, etc.—Continued Elliott, Hon. Carl, etc.-Continued Pulliam, Jack C., boys industrial school, Topeka, Kans_-. Reid, Joseph H., Child Welfare League of America, Inc__ Tyndall, R. Winfred, family and child service agency, Winston- Page 249 250 254 256 231 244 256 244 245 231, 235 139-141 Villaume, William J., National Council of the Churches of Christ, Whitelaw, John M., Community Council, Portland, Oreg--- Cate, William B., Portland, Oreg., Council of Churches.. 232 235 233 Langtry, Virgil, judge, circuit court of Oregon, Portland. 234 232 236 234 Smith, Karl, Baraboo, Wis.. 240 Hecht, George J., chairman, American Parents Committee, letter, 114 252 National Association of Social Workers, R. T. Danstedt, director__ 145 163 National Council of Negro Women, Inc., prepared statement of Perlman, I. Richard, Children's Bureau, Department of Health, Education, and Welfare, letter, March 4, 1959, to Hon. Donald E. Long, judge, domestic relations department, circuit court of Oregon, Portland___ Training institutes in United States for police work with children, list True Citizenship Association, Thomas C. Corbitt, president. 167 103-105 101-102 264 121 JUVENILE DELINQUENCY PREVENTION AND CONTROL TUESDAY, MARCH 17, 1959 HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, SUBCOMMITTEE ON SPECIAL EDUCATION OF THE COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION AND LABOR, Washington, D.C. The subcommittee met at 10 a.m., pursuant to call, in the Ways and Means Committee hearing room, House Office Building, Hon. Carl Elliott (chairman of the subcommittee) presiding. Present: Representatives Elliott, Green, Daniels, Giaimo, Wainwright, and Lafore. Also present: Mary P. Allen, subcommittee clerk, and Charles Backstrom, research assistant to subcommittee. Mr. ELLIOTT. The subcommittee will be in order, please. The Subcommittee on Special Education this week is continuing its study of juvenile crime and delinquency. In the last Congress, this subcommittee compiled more than 400 pages of testimony on the problems of juvenile delinquency. We heard at that time from many outstanding experts in the field of youth work. We also heard from most of the national organizations concerned with this matter. Juvenile crime continues to be a serious national problem. J. Edgar Hoover, Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the other day released preliminary statistics on crime for 1958. These figures showed that crimes by juveniles rose another 7 or 8 percent in the last year, just as had been the case in the previous years. We know that many States and cities and rural counties are putting out a great effort to control juvenile crime, but the disease seems to be growing faster than the cures that are being used. It is my belief that we have arrived at the point where we, at the Federal level, can and must take some action to help our States and local communities in their efforts. I hope that we can report out a bill on juvenile delinquency in the near future, before the full committee and the House become tied up in all sorts of controversial legislation. I am confident that we can come up with a sound bill that will represent a practical first step in controlling juvenile delinquency. Many interested individuals and organizations have contacted our committee, indicating that they stand ready to support legislation at this time. We appreciate your interest and support. We will appreciate the assistance you can give us in deciding just what it is possible to do about juvenile crime at this time. In view of the legislative situation I have described, I am going to suggest to the witnesses that we try to build on the knowledge and information we have already assembled in prior testimony. I am going to suggest that each of you confine your testimony as much as possible to the specific bills before the committee. I think in this way you can be most helpful to us and to the cause of combating delinquency; certainly to the cause of getting legislation. The bills before the commitee are as follows: H.R. 319, by Mr. Addonizio; H.R. 772, by Mrs. Green; H.R. 1084, by Mr. Zelenko; H.R. 3464, by myself; H.R. 4649, by Mr. Roosevelt; and H.R. 5345, by Mrs. May. (H.R. 1084, and H.R. 4649 are identical with H.R. 319 and therefore not printed herein.) (The bills referred to are as follows:) [H.R. 319, 86th Cong., 1st sess.] A BILL To provide for assistance to and cooperation with States in strengthening and improving State and local programs for the diminution, control, and treatment of juvenile delinquency Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That this Act may be cited as the "Delinquent Children's Act of 1959." FINDINGS AND POLICIES SEC. 2. (a) The Congress hereby finds and declares that— (1) juvenile delinquency, since it is a social disability that impedes the development of children into responsible citizens, thereby diminishes the strength and vitality of the Nation; (2) juvenile delinquency is a steadily mounting problem of nationwide proportions in both our urban and rural communities, the problem overreaches local and even State boundaries in some of its aspects; State and local resources, especially in regard to the availability of specialized facilities and professional personnel trained to handle the problems of delinquency, are, in most cases, inadequate; and (3) although major factors in juvenile delinquency are basically related to conditions in the home, the neighborhood, the community, and the State, requiring concerted and coordinated action on those fronts, the Federal Government can and should provide such leadership as is possible in stimulating home, neighborhood, community, and State efforts, and should undertake such measures as the neighborhoods, communities, local institutions, and States cannot initiate or support by themselves. (b) It shall, therefore, be the national policy to provide such Federal leadership and such funds as may be required: to stimulate and promote the training of specialized personnel, and to supplement State and local resources for this and other purposes, and to encourage coordination and planning among public and voluntary nonprofit agencies whose programs relate to the diminution, control, and treatment of juvenile delinquency, especially those agencies concerned with the welfare, health (including mental health), spiritual development, education, and recreation of children and youth, and to assist the States in strengthening, improving, and encouraging State and community programs to diminish, control, and treat juvenile delinquency, both as specialized programs and as part of general State, community, and neighborhood programs related to the problem of juvenile delinquency. TITLE I-ESTABLISHMENT OF FEDERAL ADVISORY COUNCIL ON JUVENILE DELINQUENCY SEC. 101. In order to provide the Secretary with advice concerning programs for the diminution, control, and treatment of juvenile delinquency, and to help carry out the purposes of this Act, there is hereby established in the Department of Health, Education, and Welfare a Federal Advisory Council on Juvenile Delinquency (hereinafter referred to as the "Council"). The Council shall consist of the Secretary or his designee, representing the Secretary, and twentyone members appointed by the Secretary without regard to civil-service laws. The twenty-one members so appointed, none of whom shall be officers or fulltime employees of the Federal Government, shall be eminent in fields related to juvenile delinquency such as education, law, child psychology, criminology, penology, sociology, psychiatry, social work, juvenile court work, probation and parole services, spiritual guidance, recreation work, police work, and com munity organization work, and representatives of the public well known for leadership in programs concerned with juvenile delinquency. In making such appointments, the Secretary shall give due consideration to recommendations for such appointments submitted to him by private voluntary organizations and professional associations interested in and associated with the above fields, including, but not limited to, such organizations as the National Association of Social Workers, the American Public Welfare Association, the American Public Health Association, the Industrial Areas Foundation, the National Association of Training Schools and Juvenile Agencies, the Child Welfare League of America, the Family Service Association of America, the National Council of Juvenile Court Judges, the International Association of Chiefs of Police, the National Probation and Parole Association, the American Bar Association, the National Education Association, the American Association of School Administrators, the National Congress of Parents and Teachers, and the American Medical Association. SEC. 102. The terms of each of the twenty-one appointed members of the Council shall be for four years, except that the first Council shall be appointed as follows: Seven members shall be appointed for sixteen months, seven members shall be appointed for thirty-two months, and seven members shall be appointed for four years. Any member appointed to fill a vacancy occurring prior to the expiration of the term for which his predecessor is appointed shall be appointed for the remainder of such term. SEC. 103. The Council shall, among other duties and functions, submit an annual report to the Secretary. The Council shall make such additional reports, from time to time, to the Secretary, as the Council shall deem necessary and appropriate, which reports, in the discretion of the Council, shall be of public record. Such reports shall deal with the status of the problem of juvenile delinquency, the progress being made with the problem, and shall contain such recommendations as the Council may deem appropriate with regard to any matter covered under this Act: Provided, That the Council's annual reports shall be submitted by the Secretary to the Congress, and the Secretary, in transmitting such reports, shall append such comments, especially with respect to recommendations contained therein, as he may deem appropriate: Provided further, That such of the Council's reports to the Secretary which the Council decides shall be of public record shall be made public by the Secretary, together with such comment by the Secretary as he may deem appropriate. SEC. 104. The Council is authorized to comment upon applications for special projects submitted to the Secretary under title IV of this Act and to recommend to the Secretary for grants under such title any such projects or any projects proposed by the Council which show promise of making valuable contributions to the diminution, control, or treatment of juvenile delinquency. The Secretary is authorized to utilize the services of any member or members of the Council in connection with matters relating to this Act, for such periods, in addition to conference periods, as he may determine. SEC. 105. Decisions by the Council in regard to reports or in regard to any other matters within its jurisdiction shall be by majority vote of all the members of the Council, except that the Secretary or his designee may not vote except in the case of a tie. SEC. 106. Appointed members of the Council, while attending meetings of the Council or while otherwise serving at the request of the Secretary, shall be entitled to receive compensation at a rate to be fixed by the Secretary, but not exceeding $50 per diem, and shall also be entitled to receive expenses while so serving away from their places of residence. SEC. 107. The Council shall elect a chairman and a secretary who shall serve without additional compensation and the Council shall be provided by the Secretary with such technical, consultative, clerical, and other assistance as the Council shall require, subject to the approval of the Secretary. TITLE II-GRANTS TO STATES TO STRENGTHEN AND IMPROVE PROGRAMS SEC. 201. For the purpose of assisting the States to strengthen and improve State and local programs for the diminution, control, and treatment of juvenile delinquency, there is hereby authorized to be appropriated for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1958, the sum of $5,000,000; for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1959, the sum of $7,500,000; for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1960, the sum |