JUVENILE OFFENDERS. The practice of singling out offenders of a tender age from adult offenders, and subjecting them to different punishment and reformatory treatment, has gained ground of late years. In the eye of the law persons are consid ered capable of committing crime when of the age of seven, and arc punishable like other persons. But in England and Ireland, iu cases of larceny, whenever a person under the age of 16 is brought before justices, and is convicted, he or she may be committed to the house of correction for three calendar months or less, or, in the discretion of the justices, shall be fined £3 or less; or if a male tinder 14 years, shall be once privately whipped (with a birch rod, not more than 12 strokes), either instead of or in addition to such imprisonment. The juvenile offender, however, may object to be tried by justices of the peace, and may insist upon being tried by jury, if he prefer it. And in all cases of juveniles under 16 being convicted of offenses, the justice or magistrate may, in addition to the sentence then passed, provided such sentence is not less than 14 days' imprisonment, direct the offender, at its expiration, to be sent to a reformatory school for a period of not less than two years, and not more than five. But the parent or
guardian may have the child sent to another reformatory school than the one named by the magistrate, on paying the additional expense, if any. The expense of the conveyance of the offender to the school is paid by the county or borough, but his continued main tenance there must be paid for by the parent or step-parent, if of sufficient ability, such sum, however, not to exceed 5s. per week. who have not yet committed crime, but are in a vagrant and neglected state. may also be sent to an industrial school (q.v.). In Scotland there are also statutes with regard to reformatory schools and juvenile offenders similar to what exist in England.