Mary Previte, superintendent of the Camden County (NJ) Youth Center. Previte, the great granddaughter of missionary pioneer Hudson Taylor, grew up in China with her missionary parents. During World War II, she and her fellow students and teachers spent three years in a Japanese concentration camp. Previte credits the structure her teachers' created with making the horrific experience bearable. For the past twenty years, Previte has run the youth center, a holding center for boys and girls charged with serious crimes. She has applied the lessons of her teachers to the center, creating a place of structure and security for children used to violent, chaotic lives. Her new book, "Hungry Ghosts" (Zondervan), relates her experience as head of this acclaimed youth center and her own life story.
Copyright 1994 Fresh Air