Decongest homes for kids in conflict with law: Panel

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, March 26

As observation homes, special homes and places of safety are having children in conflict with law 2-3 times more than capacity, Chairman, Haryana State Child Rights Commission (HSCRC), Jyoti Bainda on Thursday called for decongesting those in view of the Covid spread.

Observation homes are for undertrials and special homes are for the convicted. Places of safety are for those who are convicted but are in the age group of 16-18 years.

In a letter to Chairman of Juvenile Justice Monitoring Committee Justice Jaswant Singh, Bainda recommended releasing eligible children on bail and ‘leave of absence’ of 14-28 days for those who are sent to undergo reformative sentencing to special homes and places of safety.

Normally, ‘leave of absence’ is given for seven days only to allow a child to go on special occasions like examination, marriage of relatives, death of kith or kin or accident or serious illness of parent or any other emergency of like nature under supervision.

According to Haryana State Child Rights Commission, there are 440 children in conflict with law at observation and safety homes in the state against a capacity of 244 (180.3 %) (see box).

Recommending the maximum possible distancing among the children in observation homes, special homes and places of safety, Bainda recommended sanitisation measures and restriction of entry of outside staff. Besides, she has called for supply of masks and sanitisers for children and the staff posted there.

She said, “The children should not be made to travel for production before the Juvenile Justice Boards and the sittings should be held by video conferencing or though the staff member concerned. There should be proper screening of any new admission of children sent to the homes and mandatory segregation of new admissions.”