Page:1954 Juvenile Delinquency Testimony.pdf/129

Rh Senator. I think we all commend you gentlemen on hav- ing an organization of this kind tn which you do promote ethical pro- cedure and try to get your members to only paint wholesome pictures aud ideas,

Mr. . Thank you.

The. Mr. Musial had something he wanted to add.

Mr. . I wanted to present all the Senators with a copy of that drawing which interprets my feeling abeut what can be done, When the Senator asked about what we can do, I think the important. thing that ean be done aud must be done and the only thing that ean be done, is that once the American public is aware of the things that this comnittee is wware of, if we can get that over to the American people, then under our kind of democracy I think action will follow ina certain direction which will guarantee results.

I hate to say this, but I suggest that the committee solicit our services.

The. We do that.

Mr. . Here is a story in the New York Times of last Satur- day. We have already contributed 2 book. [would like that included in the record, if I may.

The. It will be included. Let it be exhibit No. 14.

(The information referred to was marked "Exhibit No. 14," and reads as follows:)

[From the New York Times, April 17, 1954]

(By Murray Illson)

Comic hooks, often accused of causing juvenile delinqueney, also ean be used tu help cure it, in the apinion of A, Alfred Cahen, snperintendent of the State Training School for Boys at Warwick, N. ¥.

Mr. Cohen was in the city yesterday with a hatch of comie books that had heen printed by youths committed to the institution. The hooks have been endorsed by John Warren Hill, presiding justice of the domestic relutions eourt. He called them "a very helpful and constructive step."

Justice Hill has been concerned with the increase of juvenile delinquency over

the years, wud Las made meny speeches trying te get people aroused enough to do sginething about it.

The eomie buuks that Mr. Cohen had were all alike. He presented one for inspection. It was drawn by Charles Biro, chatriman of the child welfare com- inittee of the National Cartoouists Society, which has taken a special interest in the Warwick Stale Training School. The book's 8 pages, printed in color, told the slory of the school.

Afr, Cohen explained that the purpose of the hook was to alley the fears of boys Who were being committed to the school, which is in Orange County, 55 miles from New York, Probation officers in the city's children's courts, which are part of the domestic relations' court, give the books to boys who are being sent to Warwick for rehabilitation.

Warwick, Mr, Cohen noted, is 1 of the States 2 institutions for delinquent buys, Consisting of 40 buildings and S800 acres, it now has 476 loys between the ages of Izund 16, Ninety-nine percent of them wre from New York, Sixty youngsters are in the city's detention center at Youth House, awaiting placcment at Warwick.

"We get the boys who are judged by the courts to be seriously delinquent," Mr. Cohen explained. "We maintain a clinic serviced by a psychiatrist, a psychologist and caseworkers who decide when a boy is ready to he sent home. The