Crime & Delinquency

Analysis of the efforts, in New York City and in Washington, D.C., to validate the Glueck Social Prediction _'Tables reveals that in the course of the ten-year experiments the tables have gradcially been changed to conform with the groups studied and their experiences in growing up. Despite exaggerated claims made in press releases, the New York City Youth Board study in particular should be regarded as exploratory. Neither of the reported studies should be presented as validations of the tables offered by the Gluecks a dozen years ago.

How to establish a relationship with someone who wants no part of you is a major problem faced by correctional workers. The relationship begins with the investigation, grows when there is meaningful work together on clearly identified tasks, and terminates with the completion of those tasks and the achievement of mutual goals. Important ingredients in this process are the worker's ability to make clear the working pur pose, deal with resistance, convey his expectations of and re spect for the client, and use a family focus wherever possible. Resistance may be present in the worker as well as in the client, for to be pushed away by someone you are trying to help is hard to take. Expectation is an important element because it is based on capacities and strengths we see and want to bring into use. Respect for the client finds expression as we trust him with our observations and find ways of being direct with him about those things he can use in avoiding more trouble. Draw ing upon and using the power of the family contributes to the achievement of treatment goals, for there can rarely be a success ful relationship with a child if his parents are opposed. These elements, combined in the treatment relationship, make it an effective means of helping the probationer get with, rather than fight against, society.

A probation department can provide a variety of learning ex periences for the beginning social worker, whether field work stu dent or apprentice. The serious nature of the decisions required of probation officers, however, makes it necessary for the supervi sor to take considerable responsibility in the early stage of train ing. The nature of the caseload demands that the learner have an active, optimistic approach. It is necessary to distinguish between normal problems of learning and the special problems of indi vidual learners. Reluctance to use authority and uneven devel opment of treatment skills are to be expected. Persistent in ability to evaluate factual material and pervasive bias are clues to special problems of learners. Standards for the first year of a planned training program in probation should be formulated with consideration given to normal learning problems.

The presentence investigation, one of the most important tasks of the probation officer, should elicit meaningful information about the personality and environment of the offender so that the court may make a truly enlightened disposition of the case. It may determine whether personality growth has been impaired and what remedial steps can be taken. If the offender's prob lems are environmental, helping him to reduce stress and to develop new habits may prevent further antisocial behavior. When the problems are largely emotional and the offense is repetitive,psychiatric consultation or treatment for the offender should be available if there is to be any hope of influencing his behavior.

This article describes a work therapy program for fourteen- and fifteen-year-old delinquent youngsters in a subcontract sheltered workshop operated cooperatively by the Milwaukee juvenile court and public schools and the Jewish Vocational Service. The youngsters participate in the workshop for half a day and go to school the other half..Atlempts are being made to utilize the workshop situation as a means to improve their be havior, motivation, and attitudes. Adolescents are referred to the project by the schools if they are making a very poor adjustment in school or if they have had two police involvements. The project will make follow-up studies to test and develop prog nostic indices for various types of problem boys.

The success of parole programs is perceived as dependent upon administrative organization, qualifications of parole board members and parole officers, parole granting policies, caseload size, and costs. A survey of these factors in the United States shows wide variation among jurisdictions. Some jurisdictions have no specified qualifications for parole board members, while others require several years of responsible correctional service. Qualifirations required of parole officers were found to be, in general, neither high nor rigid. Caseloads were found to range from twenty-four to 167, with a median of approximately seventy-seven. The median cost of parole supervision was found to be $.47 per day per parolee.

Sixty-five of the first 76 women seen at the Division of Legal Medicine's mental health clinic, a state agency, at Framingham Reformatory, Framingham, Mass., were later paroled and sub sequently studied in terms of the feasibility of their parole plan and their conduct on parole. The "success" group (23) was compared with the "failure" group (29) ; also included in the study was a smaller group (13) still on parole at the time of the study.

Psychiatric Clinic study covering all drug addicts arraigned for felonious crimes in New York City between 1954 and 1960 showed that the incidence of psychosis and psychoneurosis in this group is insignificant. The incidence of definite mental deficiency is also extremely low, .02 per cent. Probably half of the individuals seen can be best described as various types of psychopathic personalities. The remainder may be considered to show, at least initially in their histories, lesser types of character and behavior disorders; and their personality defects tend to be predominantly in the fields of ethical and moral laxity and social irresponsibility. Therefore, the logical way for society to deal with the problem of criminal addicts is to use primarily the sociological measures that are determined to be most effective in curbing the depredations of the psychopath, and secondarily whatever educational and sociological measures are determined most useful in elevating the ethical and moral standards and responsibility of the individual citizen.

This annual review can no longer be titled "Field Services." The field services, technical consultations, and surveys continue to increase, but other kinds of activity are now equally produc tive and absorb as much staff time. The article discusses NCCD's cooperative efforts with other organizations, special projects, the Information Center, professional and advisory councils, the Citi zen Action Program, special services, the National Institute on Crime and Delinquency, and field services.