Prayas Observation Home for Boys (POHB)

Name :-Prayas Observation Home for Boys

State :– New Delhi (Central Delhi)

Areas covered:-Delhi Gate

Working with:-Juveniles

Major issues:- In most juvenile detention centers, education, health and counseling services are completely inadequate and almost no attempt is made to rehabilitate young offenders.

Objective:-To create a new type of child-friendly juvenile justice home with an attempt to help and rehabilitate the young offenders.

About the project in brief:-This Prayas home in central Delhi caters for boys between the ages of 10 and 18 who are awaiting trial. In some cases, children are kept in custody for over a year while they wait for their case to be processed. In 1997, Prayas took over control of this institution from the Delhi authorities, with a view to creating a new type of child-friendly juvenile justice home. Since being taken over by Prayas, the centre has been completely transformed. A comprehensive counselling service has been put in place to help rehabilitate young offenders. Non-formal education and vocational training in disciplines such as tailoring, candle making and embroidery give the boys the skills they need to earn a livelihood. Sports, games, dancing and excursions create a sense of fun and community. A full time medical unit is now on hand to take care of the boys’ health and provide them with education on hygiene and nutrition. The Prayas Observation Home for Boys has been widely viewed as a successful experiment. The percentage of children that reoffend after departing the home is considerably lower than at other institutions, and 60% of children are successfully restored to their parent or guardian after leaving. Prayas’ experience at this Observation Home helped to shape the Juvenile Justice Act of 2000. It is hoped that this new approach, where an atmosphere of care and rehabilitation replaces an atmosphere of imprisonment. In fact the US Government has regarded the Prayas as a model of best practice for juvenile detention centers across India.

INSTITUTIONAL OBSERVATION HOME FOR JUVENILE BOYS IN CONFLICT WITH LAW , Delhi Gate

Prayas Observation Home for Boys-I (POHB) situated at Delhi Gate, is short-stay home for juveniles in conflict with law under enquiry under juvenile justice Act. The Home is run by Prayas under the agreement with the Department of Women & Child Development, G.N.C.T. Delhi. The home provides non- formal education and vocational training to Juveniles and Counseled regularly to overcome their trauma. This Home is the first of its kind in the country a model of transformation from a Children’s jail to child friendly Home.

It functions under the guidance of the Juvenile Justice Board (JJB) constituted under the Juvenile Justice (Care & Protection of Children) Act, 2000 Govt. of India. The main mission of POHB is to protect the rights of juveniles and equip them to meet their basic needs and achieve their full potential. The Home uses reformatory approaches to help the juveniles give up anti-social behavior.

The main objectives of the Home are to assist the Juvenile Justice Board through Social investigation. Provide opportunities for Non-formal Education, Vocational training, Counseling, Cultural & Moral education, and recreation and over all development of the Juveniles and to initiate steps towards their integration with families as well as the community. The emphasis is to show the light to come from darkness   to light. The inmates are provided appropriate social skill and legal aid to face the JJB.

Probation Unit
Probation unit is being managed by three professionally qualified Probation Officers (POs). They study the antecedents of juveniles, comprising of their family background, neighborhood set up, socio-economic status etc, to understand and diagnose the problems of the juveniles. Through their social investigation report prepared on prescribed Performa they are able to assist the Juvenile Justice Board in passing final orders for the Juveniles under section 15of the JJ Act 2000.

Probation Unit also conducts home visits and takes in depth interviews of the parents of the juveniles. As soon as a new child is admitted in the Home, the Probation Officer gets in touch with the child in order to know his background and address. On receipt of his address, the information is immediately sent to the parents through letter, telephone or other sources accordingly. For the local children, the PO conducts home visit along with the child who help in locating the home. The PO carries out a detailed investigation, based on which s/he then prepares suitable recommendations for the rehabilitation of the children. The recommendations are placed before the Juvenile Justice Board (JJB) so as to obtain legal orders regarding the disposal of the cases. Children belonging to other states are escorted by the Prayas staff or 3rd Battalion for restoration to their parents or for transfer to state Home. Since 2008 January POs are assisting both the JJBs along with SIR. Probation officers assist JJB through the counseling of juvenile who are on bail & Supervision & progress report of juveniles from time to time and follow up is also be carried out by the probation officer after the release of the juveniles.