Page:Collier's New Encyclopedia v. 05.djvu/367

LEFT JUVENILE COUBTS 303 JYAR their reformation rather than their pun- ishment. Massachusetts in 1869 estab- lished the office of "visiting agent," the incumbent of which should acquaint him- self with the criminals of youthful age and to whom notice had to be sent before the child was sent to jail. The next movement to tend toward a Juvenile Court was the separation of the older criminals from the place of confinement of minors. Illinois, in 1899, passed an act which many regard as having estab- lished the first Juvenile Court. Under this act the Circuit Court was empow- ered to deal in an especial and different manner with younger delinquents, al- though the same processes of the crim- inal law such as those of the Grand Jury, District Attorney, etc., had to be fol- lowed. Perhaps the credit of establish- ing the first real Juvenile Court is due to Colorado, which State in 1899 passed an act permitting the county courts to act for the reformation of young crim- inals. Upon this Act was founded the Juvenile Court of Denver, which Judge Ben B. Lindsey has made so justly fam- ous. Paid probation officers to look after offenders are a necessity to the suc- cessful working of the Juvenile Court but they came very late in the history of tie movement. Comparatively few States have established separate Juve- nile Courts, usually choosing some estab- lished court and designating this func- tion to it. Colorado led the way here, when in 1907 it established a separate Juvenile Court, with a procedure all its own, in every city with a population over 100,000. An important phase in the movement to protect the young in our great cities has been the passage of laws by many of the States known as Contributory De- linquent Laws, which provide that any parent, guardian, or other person who shall encourage or cause a child to com- mit a crime shall be deemed guilty of a misdemeanor and punished accordingly. In all acts dealing with the Juvenile Court Colorado, under the influence of Lindsey's great work, has been the leader. A xdvid account of his experi- ences is given in his autobiography. JUVENTAS (-ven'-), a Eoman god- dess, who presided over youth and vigor. She is the same as the Hebe of the Greeks, and was represented as a beau- tiful nymph in variegated garments. JYAR (ji'-), the 8th month of the Jewish year, corresponding, at the earli- est, with our April, but it may be as late as May; it has only 29 days.