HANDLING JUVENILE DELINQUENCY CASES 245

"We also are criticized for the practice in this State of using juvenile
institutions as detention centers for holding young people who are
awaiting court action.

"These are problems that already are receiving attention from our
juvenile authorities. We realize that too many of our youngsters are
being sent to institutions who shouldn't be there, and who, through
the lack of effective rehabilitation programs and parole supervision,
grow up to a life of adult crime.

"We intend to introduce modern, efficient screening methods to
help the juvenile courts reduce the population of our institutions. We
also will examine the advisability of building regional detention
homes similar to the Maryland Children's Center.

"Coupled with this will be a greater emphasis on development and
use of community services to aid those who require supervision but
not institutional custody, and also those who are ready for release
but have no home to go to. This would include the use of shelter
homes and half-way houses where young people would reside under
informal supervision but with freedom to continue school or pursue
fulltime employment.

"Our new Department of Juvenile Services, which goes into opera-
tion July 1 and will have full authority over institutions as well as
providing uniform services to juvenile courts, is unique in the nation.

"It has a sweeping mandate to improve a system that had much
study but saw little progress prior to the 1966 Act. Judge George B.
Rasin, Jr., the chairman of the new Advisory Board of Juvenile
Services, and Mr. Richard A. Batterton, director of the new depart-
ment, both assure me that the majority of changes recommended in
the report already are planned or are under way.

"These include the reassessment and updating of treatment pro-
grams in our juvenile institutions, improvement and uniformity of
juvenile probation services throughout the State, reduction of case-
loads for probation officers, construction of a new 204-inmate institu-
tion for boys, development of in-service training programs and related
professional improvement opportunities for personnel, and plans for
improved psychiatric evaluation, vocational training, and post-insti-
tutional care of young boys and girls released from State institutions. "

The Governor said funds were included in the budget which takes
effect July 1 to meet many of the initial improvements, and that the
agency will continue to have the active support of his administration.