Young offenders
Young offenders: Manchester Police-Court Mission to lads. After the passing of the First Offenders act in August 1887, magistrates no longer had to pass a mandatory prison sentence on first offenders. Alexander Divine, found of the mission, set out to save boys from becoming persistent offenders. The boys would be taken care of in Gordon Homes (named for Gordon of Khartoum) where they would be trained in a trade. Dated 1891.