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JUVENILE COURTS

JUVENILE COURTS

bationers. But the juvenile-court law of the state of Illinois, passed in 1899, elevated this custom into a law and further required that in the cities of that state the children (boys under 16, girls under 17) should be tried in a separate court and with the

?urpose rather to reform than to punish, n 1903 Colorado passed a juvenile-court law which causes all under 21 to be regarded as children and includes this most important provision — that those adults, parents or employers or others, who are responsible for the child's '*' delinquency," are liable to fine and imprisonment. In 1905 this provision was included in the law of Illinois Since then New York and more than 20 other states, especially those that

have large cities, have passed similar laws. In the trial of the children by the children's judge the state takes the position of a parent, not desiring to punish the child for what it has done but rather to help him get on his feet and lead a good and worthy life. Recently in Chicago, New York and other cities much good has been done by volunteer probation officers, men of means and of some leisure, who have each one adopted the position of "big brother" to some young boy biought before the court, and have tried to help him up, especially by finding h^m work, giving him a change of life now and then, and by showing sympathy and friendship.