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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (April 5, 1984)
> : Vr >*'** j'»tV tltVt** Vr':<*V« ) W *’* Page 2BAThe Battalion/Thursday, April 5, 1984 Youth Commission tries to aid violent delinquents By JILL GOLDEN Reporter Texas juveniles who habit ually break the law or who com mit violent crimes can not be sent to prison because they’re not adults. They can, however, be sent to the Texas Youth Commission for rehabilitation by county juvenile judges. The TYC, formed in 1957 by the state legislature, is the juve nile corrections system for the state. “Only 3 percent of all juve niles are committed to the com mission,” said Joan Timmons, information specialist at the TYC. “The kids who are sent here are the ones who com mitted bad crimes such as mur der or rape.” The TYC is a last resort for juveniles with serious problems. The majority of juveniles, age 10 to 17, are helped at the county level by probation de partments. f pliant? I The first offender is usually given a warning or put on a 6 month probation in the custody of his parents, says Dana Love, a Brazos County probation offi cer. If the juvenile doesn’t gel into trouble during bis proba tion, his charges, which were pending, are dropped. isn’t doing well there, the judge may send him to a local deten tion center or to a private resi dential treatment center. , Love said. to commit him to the TYC, Love said. Brazos County is building a detention center, to be com pleted soon, because a new stale law says that juveniles can no longer be kept in adult jail fa cilities. The TYC system, which op erates with state funding, in cludes: five delinquent institu tions, seven halfway houses, two camping programs, several group and foster homes, and a treatment center for dependent or neglected youth who need psychiatric help. L FREE PROFESSIONAL COUNSELING Adoption is a viable alternative SOUTHWEST MATERNITY CENTER 6487 Whitby Road, San Antonio, Texas 78240 (512) 696-2410 TOLL FREE 1-800-292-5103 Sponsored by the Methodist Student Movement through the Wesley Foundation tw ' mw— mw- v* But if the juvenile committed a serious crime, or violates his probation, the court will pul him on probation for one year, he said. The court tries to keep the juvenile at home, but if he “Children should not be housed with adult criminals be cause it is deterimental to them,” Love said. If rehabilitation at the county level does not help the juvenile, the judge may find it necessary The county judge’s recom mendations and the seriousness of the crime the juvenile com mitted determine what level he will be placed in the TYC, Love said. Once committed into the program, the juvenile is sent to Brownwood Reception Center in Brownwood, for evaluation, Love said. When testing is through and a treatment plan has been developed for the ju venile, he is put in the best place that will meet his needs. Love said. Juveniles placed in any of the TYC programs take part in community vocational pro grams, go to school and receive group counseling, Timmons said. There is no set sentence for these juveniles unless they have committed a violent crime, Timmons said. That juvenile must remain in an institution for a minimum of one year, she said. Juveniles who commit murder, capital murder, or vol untary manslaughter mustrt main for a minimum of l«o years. Juveniles who have® milled violent crimes areseniu the Giddings State School, lit most secure facility. When the commissionthi the juvenile is rehabilitated is released into the custody o( his parents and put on par until he is 18, Timmons said law, parole slops when ajutt idle becomes a legal adult aaj then the TYC no longer is volved with the case, Timmon! said. About 35 percent of the jw idles released from a TYCpt» gram go on to commit otlitr crimes and are sent to prison, Timmons said. Yo United P Boys Club members have fun, learn skills J By boys ages 7 to 18 have fun, Reporter learn new skills and make At the Boys Club in Bryan, friends. Residence Hall Association proudly presents Tickets: $3 $4 at door 2nd floor MSC 8 to 1 >o tm ■<*) Friday, April 13 ^\Ot wftUIKOifMR-AnlO Mason Dixon Dance featuring the country music of Mason Dixon 9PM-1AM Saturday, April 7 Admission: $6 per person (price includes admission to to Fairgrounds) A purchase of 8 tickets will reserve a table at the dance. Call Lisa at American Bank, (409)295-6481, to reserve your tickets. Fairgrounds located just west of Huntsville on State Highway 30. Parking is Free “The boys come here to find a place to enjoy themselves, be with their friends, and partici pate in different activities,” says j.T. Ayers, director of the Boys Clubs of Brazos County. “The Boys Club gives boys additional guidance and encouragement that will make them better adults,.” Membership has grown from 400 boys when the club opened in 1959to 1,700. The Club’s low membership fees are one reason for that growth: $2 a year for boys ages 7 to 10, $4 for 11 to 13 year- olds, and $6 for 14 to 18 year- olds. Low fees insure that every boy who wants to join the club can, said Social Director George Meeks. Although 18 year-olds rarely join, those who do usually work as volunteers by coaching bas ketball or supervising some other activity, Meeks said. The typical member is 10 years old, black, and his family is in a lower-income bracket. Sixty-five percent of the boys come from single parent homes. Boys can participate in a vari ety of organized activities in cluding woodshop and welding ( lasses, sports lournanpn game room tournaments, an) computer and readingdassesi; the library, all designed totead them some skill, Meeks said The sports and game roon activities are the most populi but the other activities also an successful, Meeks said. Ik classes are taught by ninelii and part-time supervisors,ail by community volunteers The Boys Club operates# community donations and# ceives about 40 percent oh funding from the Brait County United Way. Sheltering Arms refuge called a ‘home of love’ By LORRAINE CHRIS TIAN Reporter Sheltering Arms is a refuge for abandoned, abused and se verely neglected children, Peggy Shafer, director of the shelter said. Sheltering Arms, an emer gency shelter for children 18 and younger, serves an eight county radius. It’s for children who are under the protective custody of the courts. Shafer said if it wasn’t for the shelter, the children would be put in jail for “safe keeping” until a per manent home could be found. Instead, she said, they aie brought to the shelter, which is funded through Twin City Mis sions, private contributions and a contract from the Department of Human Resources. The shelter lets life go on as normally as possible for the children, she said. She said the children, who live in the two story home, go to skating rinks, to movies, to libraries, to parks and to school. At the shelter, the children have the choice of playing indoors on the video games or outdoors on the bas ketball court, she said. Shafer said volunteers and housepa- rems take care of the children. Shafer said she couldn! stress the importance of ik housparents. They cook, dea and love the children, she said “Hugs and praises are usd to show God’s love,” she sail “We don’t want the children® get warehoused,” she added. The address and phe number of this home of loves kept quiet so the parentsffli bother the children, shesaid.li some cases, however, the pai ents are allowed to see ik children in a neutral place. Presently, four children» at the home, Shafer said, the home could hold 13. Texas Aggie Rodeo Club sponsoring an Cordless phones hel United Press International NIRA RODEO April 5,6,7 7:30 pm Snook Rodeo Arena Beer, Hamburgers, & Tough Rodeo Action CHICAGO — Cordless t* phones can give the elderlyaii handicapped a sense of sw rity. “Most seniors who liveal® have a tremendous fear ling,” said Linda Weeks,apty ical therapist with the N urses Association of Chicago “Even a minor fall can bilize them and they couldk there on the floor for daysk fore anyone finds them. Ifi cordless telephone is alwn within arm’s reach, they new found [reace of mind ami sense of security.” WASH If awards won like “Bill,” “ ney" and “1 their young morrow’s Ei The Chi ater annua creativity ol with a play this year by ordinary, e spectacular Imagine ~T) mu: Pro United F SAN AI overture c "William throughout theme mu< Ranger” — to revive tin opera than i That’s w arts directo fans for tli estival. Bakardjit success will surprised b budget watt with traditi. the first tin: irano in tit [emmy. T falls t trousers am Bre< wile United I SAN FK streets of A the sound sight of gyr ninglike wl From Ne cisco, to t from giant sters are ground, ki< twirling o shoulders, even heads known as “l Views ol are as dive movements In inters scribed it a: lution to ga duction of Brazilian si; that could into classica Few wo streetside parks, in f stores, at street corn< may be the side of an meet. San Fran tor Michae pressed, he surprise fo tending the dance comp January. The prisi nas in wl rouetted as MSC Cafeteria Notf Better Than Ever. You Will Be Pleased Th^se Carefully Prepared and Taste Tempting Foods Each Daily Special Only $2.39 PlusTai “Open Daily” Dining: 11 A.M. to 1:30 P.M. — 4:00 P.M. to 7:00 Pi MONDAY EVENING SPECIAL Salisoury Steak with Mushroom Gravy Whipped Potatoes Your Choice of One Vegetable Roll or. Corn Bread and Butter Coffee or Tea TUESDAY EVENING WEDNESDAY SPECIAL EVENING SPECIAL Mexican Fiesta Chicken Fried Steak Dinner w cream Gravy Two Cheese and Whipped Potatoes and Onion Enchiladas Choice of one other w chili Vegetable Mexican Rice Roll or Corn Bread and Butter Patio Style Pinto Beans Tostadas Coffee or Tea One Corn Bread and Butter Coffee or Tea THURSDAY EVENING SPECIAL Italian Candle Light Spaghetti Dinner SERVED WITH SPICED MEAT BALLS AND SAUCE Parmesan Cheese - Tossed Green Salad Choice of Salad Dressing — Hot Garlic Bread Tea or Coffee FOR YOUR PROTtCTION OUR PERSONNEL HAVE HEALTH CARDS. FRIDAY EVENING SPECIAL FRIED CATFISH FILET w TARTAR SAUCE Cole Slaw Hush Puppies Choice of one vegetable Roll or Corn Bread & Butter Tea or Coffee SATURDAY NOON and EVENING SPECIAL Yankee Pot Roast Texas Style (Tossed Salad) Mashed Potato w gravy Roll or Corn Bread & Butter Tea or Coffee SUNDAY SPECIAL NOON and EVENING ROAST TURKEY DINNEf Served with Cranberry Sauce Cornbread Dressing Roll or Corn Bread - Butter- Coffee or Tea Giblet Gravy And your choice of any One vegetable ^Quality First 7