I'm sorry to be the one to break the news but it must be done. Here's a starter kit.
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Young people have always got into trouble with the law. What changes over time is how society deals with its young offenders.
Before Victorian times no distinction was made between criminals of any age. Accordingly, young children could be sent to an adult prison. There are records of children aged 12 being hanged.
The Victorians were very worried about crime and its causes. Reformers were asking questions about how young people who had broken the law ought to be treated. They could see that locking children up with adult criminals was hardly likely to make them lead honest lives in the future. On the other hand, they believed firmly in stiff punishments. In 1854 Reformatory Schools were set up for offenders under 16 years old. These were very tough places, with stiff discipline enforced by frequent beatings. Young people were sent there for long sentences - usually several years. However, a young offender normally still began their sentence with a brief spell in an adult prison.Snapshots | Victorian children in trouble with the law
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