what steps can be taken in your opinion to deliver juvenile justice?
Answers
Work of Juvenile Justice Board
As referred in section 4 of the Act, a special training program must be prepared and the officers of the Board including the Principal Magistrate should be given training of child psychology and child welfare.
Ambiance of the place where the Board holds inquiry should be child friendly. Wearing of black coats, using raised platforms or dais etc should be avoided. Practice of making the juvenile stand in front of the Board should be stopped. The child must be made comfortable and feel free from fear of any person. Sittings can be held by the Board in the observation homes.
Basic infrastructure like computer, typewriter, stenographer, furniture and buildings should also be provided to the Board for smooth discharge of duties.
There should be a proper maintenance of files and case records.
Video linking of the homes should be provided for children to facilitate inspection and supervision by the Board to keep a check on anything done against the best interest of the child.
At least one of the two social workers in a Board should be a person with a minimum qualification of law degree.
The Board should be provided with a list of experts in the field of psychology, counseling, clinical psychiatrist, NGOs, panelists of advocates and fit institutions and fit persons, observation homes, special homes and voluntary organizations who are dedicated to the field of child welfare. The services of such persons may be utilized. The officers manning the juvenile courts/Boards need to be sensitized to the development need of the juvenile in which case, flexible enough to respond to new discoveries in social sciences research and willing to invest in the experiment with promising new interventions for offenders.
For giving good services to the juvenile and the parents of the child, they should be treated psychologically in consultation with a psychiatric. For the same, a psychologist and one social worker, who has awareness of the relevant law, must be appointed in the Juvenile Justice Board.
Co-operation of NGOs and other social organizations may also be sought for by the JJ Board in addition to special juvenile police unit and probation officer. Probation officer should be given the sufficient training as to that how they have to prepare the social investigation report which will help the JJB. Lady probation officer is appointed instead of government probation officer for the preparation of social investigation report.
One government welfare official should be appointed by the government to work as a liaison officer between the NGO and Juvenile Justice Board child welfare committee. In this regard, the State Government Welfare Department may organize seminar, sensitization and orientation program inviting all the probable officials, police personnel who are responsible for better delivery of justice to the children.