Apology for juvenile reformatory

Matters came to a head a few days ago, when some inmates of the centre attempted to commit suicide by inflicting injuries upon themselves. They were apparently protesting the raw deal they got from the authorities. They complained about virtually everything -- poor quality and quantity of food, no recreational facilities, very cruel treatment by the teachers, and so on. The boys were perhaps trying to be hospitalised with injuries on their person on that particular day which might have given them a chance to get away.

It is not precisely known what drove the young inmates of the centre -- most of whom have a criminal record quite unbecoming of such tender age -- to resort to such extreme measures. But one thing is very clear: the centre is not doing what was expected of it.

Tap here to add The Daily Star as a trusted source

The social welfare directorate which runs the centre probably envisaged a steady recovery by the juveniles from an abnormal state of mind, which made them delinquents. The hoped for recovery would have been possible had the correction process been designed to meet the needs of the young boys, most of whom had seen some ugly aspect of life rather prematurely. But ruthless corporeal punishment coupled with meagre supply of food and arrangement for vocational training cannot bring about the desired changes.

After all, if ordinary criminals become hardened ones after spending some time in the centre, there might be reason enough to conclude that the project has failed miserably.

The government has constituted a one-man probe body to look into the wretchedness of the existence of those condemned to confinement at an early age. It is highly imperative that the situation at the correction home improve and its inmates get an opportunity to return to normal life with some new skills acquired and delinquent mentality shed. Let's develop the three reformatory centres we have, along the lines of reasonably good penitentiaries overseas.