MP Karn Highlights Dire Conditions in Juvenile Correction Homes

Kathmandu. Opposition party Nepali Congress lawmaker Ninu Kumari Karn has drawn the government's attention to the dire condition of various juvenile correction homes across the country. Speaking in the meeting of the Law, Justice and Human Rights Committee held in Singha Durbar today, participating in the discussion on the report of the 'Sub-committee for Inspection and Observation of the Human Rights Status of Children in Juvenile Correction Homes', she expressed this view. Lawmaker Karn stated that although sufficient policies and rules have been made to ensure children's rights, problems have arisen due to their ineffective implementation. She mentioned that during the monitoring of juvenile correction homes in Bhaktapur, Rupandehi, and Kaski, even the minimum facilities stipulated by law were not found. She alleged that the condition of education, health, sports, and recreation in juvenile correction homes is nil, and children are merely confined in the name of security. Her argument is that the 7-minute time allotted for meeting parents is extremely short and violates children's rights. Furthermore, she demanded immediate classification based on gender and age, citing the increased risk of infection from keeping children with infectious diseases alongside healthy children, and the practice of housing boys and girls together in Bhaktapur. Speaking about the Madhesh Province, Lawmaker Karn stated that having only one correction home for eight districts is insufficient. Considering the population and the increasing incidents of juvenile delinquency, she demanded the Ministry increase the number of correction homes in Madhesh Province. Emphasizing that the role of family and society is crucial in reintegrating children released from juvenile correction homes into society, she stressed the need to conduct awareness programs for this purpose. During the discussion, she suggested making arrangements for separate housing based on age, gender, and the nature of the offense (drugs, rape, or others), as keeping a 12-year-old boy and individuals over 20 years old together increases further risk. In the meeting, she also stated that children should be addressed as 'juvenile delinquents' rather than 'criminals' and that a just process should be adopted for their reform.