Wild Young Criminals

From First Page

He wants you to be sympathetic with his young appearance and supposed naivete. When the penitentiary recently becaught he hollers for Mom. cause of bratniks blasting off.

"Taken to hospital, tried to An inmate who writes a col-retch and couldn't. Then he umn for the Ohio Penitentiary went through the dispensary, paper, the OP News, comslammed every door he could

plained:

"While in the 'hole' he tore

get hold of, threatened the "When are they going to take guard with violence, called all the old, hardened crim-everyone there as dirty a name inals and put them in a place as he could think up. Put in the away from the youngsters nowhole.' coming into the prisons in droves? Isn't it about time that up his cell, scratched his wrist someone thought of the 'old and tried to be transferred to con' and quit thinking about the hospital. So he was put in what is going to happen to a stronger cell. Did 10 days in these youngsters who the pub-the segregation block." lic thinks are going to be taught to be supercrooks or somethin'?

"They Know It All"

The bratnik population of both the penitentiary and reformatories keeps going up.

Corrections Commissioner

"Let me be the first to in-Maury C. Koblentz said: form you that the 'old cons' are "There are 350 to 400 of the not going to teach these brats juveniles in Mansfield, too senothin'. They know it all, and rious offenders to go to Boys' if you don't believe it you Industrial School. And perhaps should listen in on some of more than 100 at Lebanon. All their conversations.

16 to 21.

Number Increasing

"When it comes to sticking up a supermarket or a bank, these kids are in a class by "The number of these has inthemselves. What they ain't creased. The younger crime stuck up before, to hear them type is increasing. They aren't tell it, is just because they ain't all these difficult types, but been, built yet. the younger ones are among

"All of them had automobiles our worst disciplinary problems long enough to land a jet plane in the penitentiary and at the

on and their molls would make reformatories."

the movie starlets turn pink Koblentz said their offenses and green with envy.

were also becoming "more assaultive, more crimes against persons.'

"This is the main reason why a lot of 'old cons' are leaving prisons and going straight J. Edgar Hoover's figures they got to get away from these youngsters before they last year showed arrests of juveniles in 1960-61 were more really get themselves corrupted. "For once we than double those of 1950 while are going to agree with those in a free that age group had increased society. Keep the youngsters only 50%.

away from the hardened crimWhat is still more sobering inal; he's got enough trouble as is that Koblentz sees no glimit is without having to listen to mer of a change on the horithese babies raving like nuts." |żon.

“Tough Guy” at 19

And he and his staff think Here is a sample of bratnik of a malady that is hitting these bratniks are symptoms

behavior within the walls, as read and discussed from the many families and youngsters, prison records by Koloski: even if they don't end up in crime.

"This is an adolescent, 19, who assumes an arrogant and 'tough guy' manner. He is impressed with the drama and intrigue of being an outlaw and is not yet experienced enough to realize the self-destruction involved. Crime: armed robbery.

"He suffers from claustrophobia, but he's always in 'the hole' (isolation cell).

"Father died when he was 11. Mother remarried. Stepfather never took an interest in him. No effective father figure in his home environment. "Caught in a homosexual situation with another convict, his first remark was: 'I'm sick.'

TOMORROW: "Momism," relativistic ethics and the crumbling family.