The million-peopled city
Garwood, John
1853
The Classes from which they are drawn.
Contemplate again the classes from which these juvenile thieves are obtained, and the claim which they present on our compassion is still further increased. The enumeration given on this subject, with reference to the very excellent | |
11 | , in , is equally applicable to England and to London. Juvenile thieves are said, in the Mettray Report, to be made up of:- 1. The children of criminals. These are hereditary criminals. They are often trained to crime, and are practically taught to think lightly of it, even when they are not expressly taught to consider it a merit, as is too often the case. This forms a class, the numbers of which are in proportion to the number of the whole class. 2. Illegitimate children. The testimony of inspectors of prisons, of gaolers, and of chaplains to gaols, is uniform to the fact that these constitute a very large class of juvenile criminals. 3. Orphans. 4. Foundlings and step-children. 5. The children of the very poor. |