Nepal’s Juvenile Reform Homes in Dire State, Says Lawmaker

Nepali lawmaker Bhoomika Shrestha has expressed concern over the deplorable state of the country’s juvenile reform homes, citing inadequate infrastructure and poor management.

Speaking at a meeting of the Law, Justice and Human Rights Committee in Singh Durbar on Sunday, Shrestha said that despite the existence of laws governing juvenile reform homes, their implementation has been lacking.

Conditions in Reform Homes

Shrestha’s comments were based on a report by the sub-committee on the inspection and monitoring of human rights in juvenile reform homes, which visited facilities in Bhaktapur, Rupandehi, and Kaski.

The report highlighted the dire conditions in Rupandehi’s juvenile reform home, prompting Shrestha to call for the immediate relocation of the facility and coordination between the Ministry of Home Affairs and the Ministry of Land Reform to address the issue.

In Bhaktapur, the report found that boys and girls were being housed in the same compound, posing a security risk, while girls were forced to study in shifts due to a lack of space.

Laws and Implementation

Shrestha also expressed concern over the implementation of the Children’s Act, 2075, and the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, which prohibits the treatment of children as ‘prisoners’. However, she noted that in practice, courts often refer to children as ‘prisoners’ in their verdicts.

Shrestha stated, ‘Our five-member team visited three juvenile reform homes in Bhaktapur, Rupandehi, and Kaski. The presentation highlighted the provisions of the Children’s Act, 2075, and the efforts made towards reform. However, despite the legal provisions, the state of juvenile reform homes is still not up to expectations. The infrastructure and management in most places are alarming.’

Forced Marriages and Social Issues

Shrestha also pointed out that many children in juvenile reform homes were victims of forced marriages, while some were imprisoned due to ‘early age affairs’ and social misunderstandings. She argued that a proper mechanism is needed to address these issues and that imposing long prison sentences for minor offenses can have a severe impact on a child’s future and socialization.

Shrestha demanded that separate facilities be established for individuals above and below the age of 18 and that the lack of physical infrastructure be addressed immediately.