Nepal’s Juvenile Reform Homes in Dire State, Overcrowding and Lack of Facilities

Nepal’s juvenile reform homes are facing a dire situation, with overcrowding and a lack of basic facilities, the government has said.

According to the Ministry of Women, Children, and Senior Citizens, the country’s 10 juvenile reform homes have a total capacity of 1,085, but are currently housing 1,195 children.

The ministry’s spokesperson, Chakrabahadur Budha, said that the homes lack basic facilities such as schools, and that the daily allowance of 80 rupees and 700 grams of rice provided to the children is insufficient.

The ministry has proposed amendments to the Children’s Act, 2018, to reduce the sentence for minors and to introduce a ‘diversion’ process to reduce the number of children in the reform homes.

The proposed amendments include reducing the sentence for minors to a maximum of seven years, and increasing the minimum age of criminal responsibility from 10 to 12 years.

The ministry has also proposed to establish a separate court for children and to provide counseling and vocational training to the children in the reform homes.

Currently, the children in the reform homes are facing problems such as lack of access to education, healthcare, and recreational activities.

The ministry has said that it is working to address these issues and to provide a better environment for the children in the reform homes.