Exploring the range of services for juvenile delinquents; a case study of central jail, Rawalpindi

Abstract

Literature on the service delivery of the juvenile delinquents is limited as to address the issues facing them in prisons. The dearth of research leads to inadequate service delivery and lack of resource allocation for the rehabilitation of the juvenile delinquents. This study aimed to explore the range of services available to the juvenile delinquents detained in the Central Jail, Rawalpindi, otherwise known as Adiala. The purpose had been to analyze in detail the services and the service delivery mechanisms for the young juveniles. It was found that the understanding of the word juvenile among the jail administration and staff is gender specific and so are the services associated with it. Mental health is as much of a taboo inside the jail as it is on the outside, this misconstrued perception of being ‘crazy’ unfortunately couldn’t escape the walls of Adiala. The definition of the word rehabilitation within Adiala is narrow, linked only with drug or alcoholic rehabilitation, and is not extended towards mental disorders. The abuse of human rights and security inside the jail is unfortunately a common occurrence and is often ignored to keep it off the record. Human resource and the financial budgets are in dire need of an upgrade or increase. Based on the study a few recommendations had been proposed in the last chapter of the research, and without a doubt it can be said that the system needs immediate reformation. It is important to protect and rehabilitate children and to devise social re-integration strategies that can help the children during the transition phase.