To reform children in conflict with law, Juvenile Justice Board (JJB) in Srinagar has started a novel initiative to utilise them for community services.
In a recent order, the JJB Srinagar comprising outgoing Principal Magistrate JJB Srinagar TabasumQadir and two members DrAsima Hassan and Khair-ul-Nisa ordered Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Traffic, City to utilise the services of a child in conflict with law (CCL) for manning traffic for 15 days.
The CCL performed duties of traffic management along with traffic police from March 18 to March 23 at various locations in Srinagar, the SSP Traffic in his report (No SSPTCS/Crime/21/2919-24) to the JJB said.
In a similar order another children in conflict with law was ordered to present himself before a masjid committee of his locality and offer his services in cleaning prayer area, dusting of window pans and book shelves of masjid for one week.
“Since, the purpose of Juvenile Justice (Care & Protection of Children) Act, 2015 is basically reformation rather than retribution and once the CCL has admitted his deviant behaviour before the Board. It becomes the responsibility of the Board to make avenues wherein the CCL can be reformed and one such avenue is provided in the Act itself wherein provision has been made for community services,” the Board observed.
One of the JJB members, DrAsima Hassan told Greater Kashmir that every child who comes in contact with the juvenile justice system is a child in difficult circumstances who has fallen out of the protective net at some point and has been robbed of an opportunity for a safe and secure childhood. “Children in conflict with law should be treated as children in difficult circumstances and the approach of the juvenile justice system should be aimed at addressing the vulnerabilities of children and ensuring their rehabilitation,” she said.
“The Board was satisfied on inquiry that the children irrespective of their age have committed an offence. So keeping in view the nature of offence, specific need for supervision or intervention, circumstances as brought out in the Social Investigation Report and the past conduct of the children, the Board thought it fit to order the children to perform community services under the supervision of an organisation or institution or a specified person or persons identified by the Board,” she added.