HAQ: Centre for Child Rights

The principles of “Best Interest of Child” and the principle of “Fresh Start” have been some of the guiding principles of the Juvenile Justice Act in India. Many children who enter into the JJ system end up spending a significant part of their lives in such institutions and some come out only when they turn eighteen years. Anywhere between 20-25% children in conflict with law end up in institutional care. Care, treatment and protection of children in large scale institutions has not been a very positive experience for both children and those who have to manage such large scale facilities. Community integrated rehabilitation facilities for Children in Conflict with Law (CICL) has not been thought of in the Indian context. At best, members from the community, largely CSOs, are allowed to engage with children in institutions (rather judicial custody) and carry out activities that can improve their experience of institutionalisation and help in their rehabilitation.

In 2019 the Dutch Government announced legislation to implement small-scale community-integrated youth custodial facilities throughout the Netherlands, as an alternative to placement in large-scale high-security youth justice facilities. The reforms in the Netherlands provide a promising example of a model that may alleviate the challenges facing other jurisdictions at a critical time of youth justice reforms.

Let us hear Dr. Fleur Souverein and Mr. Ruud Jacobs who have closely worked with and in these facilities and also get an Indian context to CICL rehabilitation from Ms. Shivangi Puri and Ms. Sachi Maniar.