Juveniles in jail

Not unexpectedly, Punjab Chief Minister Usman Buzdar found the conditions at the borstal jail in Bahawalpur far from satisfactory during an unannounced village to the facility on Friday. He noted inadequate food provision to the young prisoners, as well as the lack of other facilities. This would certainly be true of other borstal centres in the country. It is also true that, while the Juvenile Justice System Ordinance of 2002 made it mandatory for juveniles to be held apart from adult criminals and provided opportunity for education and reform, there has been a failure to achieve this. Many young prisoners continue to be held in adult facilities, often coming into contact with hardened criminals which can only add to the risk that they will fall into a life of crime.

Juvenile detention facilities seem to put in only limited effort to hold the children in conditions that can help them build futures for themselves or learn a trade that could help them earn a livelihood in the future. Education is offered, but the quality is poor and lessons are sometimes irregular. With the other 100 prisons in Pakistan all badly overcrowded, it is time to rethink the question of detaining small-time offenders, especially juveniles, for long periods of time. As is the case in other countries, penalties such as community service or restraints imposed within the community should be considered. This would also spare the children the label of having been incarcerated.

At a broader level, we need to consider what our main purpose is in holding persons, especially juveniles, in detention centres. Is it vengeance or reform? If we aim to turn these young people into citizens who can contribute in a positive manner to society, then they need to be treated in a more humane fashion with the aid of psychologists, counsellors, educationists and other specialists. In other countries in the region, including Iran, juvenile detention centres are well equipped with computers, learning facilities, opportunities for sport and other kinds of recreation. This is vital if we are to ensure our young do not fall into a pit from which they cannot climb out. It is also crucial to remember that all those under 18 are considered children under the laws of our country, and need to be treated as such.