Role Of Rehabilitation Programmes In Improving Juvenile Delinquency In The Society

Saloni Verma LL.M., Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti Language University, Lucknow, U.P. (India)

ABSTRACT

As a vital resource for our country, children must have a safe place to live, and it is the responsibility of every member of society to ensure that they do. Still, in a growing country like India, the rate of youth crime has increased significantly in the last ten years. It is possible to compare the pervasiveness of youth crime in our culture today to an illness. In addition to showing partiality and exemptions for particular categories of people, the Indian criminal justice system treats some offenses differently than others. A separate law that deals with juvenile justice has been established, despite the Indian Penal Code listing a number of exemptions and the court's willingness to be lenient when it comes to punishing young offenders. Different legislative acts have defined the term ‘juvenile’ in different ways. However, people who have not yet turned 18 are regarded as juveniles under the most recent law, The Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection) Act. The reason for having a separate juvenile justice system is that our culture recognizes that adolescents are different from adults in certain ways and that these differences should be treated differently. Although the juvenile justice system prioritizes rehabilitation over punishment, there is still concern for public safety and the need to make sure that young offenders are held accountable for their actions. The process of returning a person to a productive and functioning life by means of therapeutic interventions and educational initiatives is referred to as ‘rehabilitation’. For example, if a minor exhibits delinquent behavior, it can be required of them to participate in counseling or a rehabilitative intervention that aims to enhance their decision-making skills in the future. Nationwide, the prevalence of juvenile criminals has increased despite the existence of laws dealing to the care of juveniles. The purpose of placing juveniles in rehabilitation centers is to enhance their prospects for the future.

Keywords: Juvenile Delinquency, Juvenile, Reformation, Rehabilitation, Societal Impact