JUVENILE DETENTION CENTER

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INTRODUCTION:

WHO IS A JUVENILE?

Juvenile means a person who is very young, teenager, adolescent or underage. In other words, juvenile means
children who have not yet reached the age of adults in the sense that they are still childish or immature.
Sometimes the term “child” is also interchangeably used for the term “juvenile”.

Legally speaking, a juvenile can be defined as a child who has not attained a certain age at which he can be held
liable for his criminal acts like an adult person under the law of the country. Juvenile is a child who is alleged to
have committed certain acts or omissions which are in violation of any law and are declared to be an offence.

In terms of law, a juvenile is a person who has not attained the age of eighteen years. It has a legal significance. As
per the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection) Act, 2000, a juvenile shall not be treated as an adult even if he/she
is involved in any criminal acts for the purpose of trial and punishment in the court of law.

JUVENILE DELEQUENCY:

Juvenile Delequency refers to a large variety of disapproved behavior of children and adolescents which society
does not approve of and for what some admonishment; punishment or corrective measure is justified in the
public interest.

The perception that juvenile deliquency is a creeping social menace is sharpened because the crimes with which
the youths are most often associated are those of wanton violence and distruction where the motive is often
difficult to discover.

The term expresses a very extensive meaning, covering hostile and rebellious behaviour of children and their
malignant attitude towards society. Certain other acts as such begging, truancy, obscenity, loitering, pilfering,
drinking, gambling etc. Which vicious persons very often commit is also included within the meaning of the term.

It may therefore, be inferred that a juvenile delinquent is an adolescent as the case may be who indulge in some
kind of anti – social behaviour, which if not checked in time may grow into a potential offender.

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CAUSES OF JUVENILE CRIME:

Broken Homes: British and American investigations reveal that nearly 50% of the delinquents come from broken
homes. In one of the studies conducted by Uday Shankar in India only 13.3% of the 140 delinquents that he
studied came from broken homes- (1¬ 34). This shows the cultural differences between Indian and the Western
countries. Still it can be said that broken homes and families, lack of parental affection and security, absence of a
loving mother in the childhood or an affectionate mother substitute, lack of family ties, parental irresponsibility
and a steep rate in divorce, desertion and separation are all contributory factors to delinquency.

Poverty: A very large proportion of delinquent children come from poor homes. It is generally, although not
accepted by professional students of juvenile delinquency, the vast majority of delinquents come from the lower
class. They commit their offences as member of gangs. Uday Shankar's study has revealed that as many as 83% of
the children come from poor families still it cannot be generalized that the children of the poor homes invariably
become delinquents. Poverty compels sometimes both of the parents to be outside the home for a very long
period to earn their daily bread. The children will be uncared for. Such children may consciously or unconsciously
join hands with gangsters and become delinquents. This mostly happens in slum areas and areas in which mostly
working class people live.

Delinquency Areas: It is said that some areas are highly vulnerable to delinquent trends. Several studies have
showed that there are certain underclass areas in metropolitan cities from where the majority of delinquent
children come. The delinquents mostly come from the areas of poor housing, overcrowding and the areas in
which cinema houses, hotels, night clubs, liquor shops are found in a large number. It is true that when a family is
living in the central business districts or its adjacent locales in towns a cities the chance is greater for the children
of such families to pick up delinquent behavior. It is to be noted here that not all the children living in the so
called defined delinquent areas are delinquents.

Companions and Gangs: As the child grows older he or she goes into the neighborhood and becomes a member
of the playgroup or peer group. If by chance he joins the group or the gang that fosters delinquent attitudes he is
also likely to become a delinquent. In fact much delinquency spring up from the prevalent attitudes in the groups
within which the youth has immediate contacts. That is why it is maintained that "delinquency is a product of
community forces".

Beggary: Beggary is often the cause of juvenile delinquency. Child beggars mostly come from either very poor
families or broken homes. These children are betrayed of the needed love and affection of the parents. They
crave for the satisfaction of their inner impulses, desires and ambitions. They choose to become beggars for the
same. As beggars they get annoyed to see others enjoying life. Some of them may even become rebels. They

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realize that only through deviant practices, they can satisfy their desires and meet their needs. They thus become
delinquents.

School Dissatisfaction: Some get dissatisfied with school life. Parental irresponsibility, unmanageable students-
teacher ratio, lack of entertainment and sports facilities in schools, indifference of the teachers may all contribute
to this. Such dissatisfied students become regular absentees in schools and start wandering in streets. They may
even form gangs of their own and become gamblers, eve-teasers, pick-pocketers, drunkards, smokers and drug
addicts.

Films and Pornographic Literature has also added to the magnitude of delinquency. Cinema, television and
obscene literature may often provoke sexual and other impulses in adolescents. Hence they may start their
'adventure' in satisfying them and in the process of which they commit crimes.

Deep-seated inner desires coupled with outside pressures, compulsions and temptations also contribute to
juvenile delinquency. There are also personal factors such as mental deficiency and emotional disturbances which
may also contribute to juvenile delinquency. It has been observed that good number of delinquents are mentally
deficient have revealed that there is larger proportions of mentally defective in the juvenile delinquent group
than among the normal children.

Mental troubles and emotional maladjustments are strong factors in delinquency .Emotional problems of
inferiority, jealous and being thwarted are very common among the delinquent children. Healy and Bronner in the
study of 143 delinquents found that 92% of the delinquent studied revealed emotional disturbance. It is reported
that in America about two- thirds of juvenile delinquents suffer from emotional, personality and mental
deviations. Thus from the psychological point of view "Delinquency is a rebellion and an expression of aggression
which is aimed at destroying breaking down or changing the environment". This rebellion is mostly against the
social conditions which deny the individual his basic rights and the satisfaction of his fundamental needs. Thus,
delinquents are not born so, but they become so due to social circumstances and personal deficiencies. They are
mostly maladjusted person.

Thus it may be said that juvenile delinquency is the result of both social or environmental and personal or
individual factors of causation of it. The above mentioned factors of causation of delinquency have become
common aspects in crime committed by the children in India.

JUVENILE CRIME RATE IN INDIA:

As per the Government of India: Ministry of Home Affairs, stated in STATISTICS - National Crime Records
Bureau:

In 2016, Juvenile crime in india were, 35,849; with the yearly growth of 3.2%.

Juvenile crime below the age of 12yr, 637; from age 12yr – 16yr, 10,957; from 16yr – 18yr, 24,255.

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BY EDUCATION
Illitrate 4,737
Primary 10,329
Below High School 15,440
High school and above 5,343
TOTAL 35,849
BY FAMILY BACKGROUND
Living with parents 29,912
Living with guardians 4,315
Homeless 1,622
TOTAL 35,849

INSTITUTIONS FOR JUVENILE DELEQUENCY:

Juvenile Courts: Juvenile Courts are established in order to treat separately juvenile delinquents form other adult
criminals. Juvenile Courts have their own building, judicial bench and other arrangements. Juvenile delinquents
cannot be tried in ordinary courts. Whenever the juvenile courts are not there they could however be tried in
other courts but on a separate day and at a fixed time so as to keep them separately from other adult criminals

Remand Homes (Observation Homes): When a child is arrested under the Act, he is produced before the
magistrate within 24 hours and kept in Remand Home till the case is investigated. The child is kept in Remand
Home until the final disposal of the case. Sometimes person convicted are sent to Remand Homes for a few days
and released later. These homes are mostly managed by private Welfare agencies with the governmental
assistance.

Certified Schools: Certified Schools are established mainly to give some general education and technical training
to the children. Here the children are sent for long-term treatment. They are run by voluntary bodies or local
authorities with the financial assistance of the government and the public. There are two types of schools: (i)
junior Schools for boys under 12, and (ii) Senior Schools for boys under 16. The children are confined here about 2
to 3 years. They school authorities can also make early discharge. After their release they are put under the
charge of a Welfare or probation officer who watches their activities.

Auxiliary Homes: These Auxiliary Homes are attached to Certified Schools just like remand homes. Here the
convicted delinquents are kept for some time and studied by a social worker. Later on they are sent to certified
schools depending upon and attitude of the young offender.

Foster Homes: Foster Homes are mostly run by the voluntary agencies and the government gives grants to. They
are specially created for delinquent children under 19 who cannot be sent to approved or certified schools.

Special Homes: Are for reception and rehabilitation of of juvenile in conflict with law. These institutes are set up
in all states that are established by state government itself by the help of voluntare organisation.

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AIM:
To design a Juvenile detention center that is psychology oriented, functional, secure and enhances living condition
of children in conflict with law.

OBJECTIVES:
 Prioritizing functionality over stylistic design.
 Providing appropriate circulation systems for easy and controlled access and exit from the facility.
 The use of color, lighting and semiotic architecture to influence behavior.
 Designing the facility for an advance administrative operational system and surveillance.
 The creation of open interior spaces that will relate to the outdoor environment to increase the feeling of
freedom among the inmates.
 To create outdoor areas without jeopardizing security and without creating a threatening environment.

SCOPE:
 Detailed site plan with placement of Observation Towers.
 Relation between open and closed spaces.
 Planning based on minimum use of artificial lighting.
 Planning based on maximum natural ventilation.
 Designing recreational spaces for healthy living style
 Designing educational, vocational and councelling facilities.
 Space Density with personal privacy without jeoparding the security.

LIMITATIONS:
 Psychology oriented design concept
 Functional planning.
 Low rise buildings.


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METHODOLOGY:

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LIVE PROJECT SITE:

LOCATION: NARELA, NEW DELHI.

SITE AREA: 5 ACRES (approx.)

DELHI ZONAL DEVELOPMENT PLAN

ZONE P-1 (Narela Sub City)
As per Delhi Zonal Development Plan 2021, Zone P-1 (Narela Sub City),

ANNEXURE – IV (Details of Facility Areas), Page No. 35, S.No. 23

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CASE STUDIES:
LIVE CASE STUDIES: NET CASE STUDIES:

• Prayas Juvenile Aid Center Society • Correctional Center, Orlando, Florida

• Observation Home for Girls, Nirmal • Juvenile Services Center, San Luis
Chayya Complex, Jail Road, New Obispo, California
Delhi.
• Special Homes 1, Magzine Road,
Delhi

PROGRAM ACTIVITIES:
• Self-Care
• Expressive and Receptive Language
• Learning
• Mobility
• Self-direction
• Capacity for independent living
• Economic Self-sufficiency

PROGRAM REQUIREMENTS:
• PHYSICAL INFRASTRUCTURE: • SAFETY MEASURES:
- Dormatories - Safety and security through
- Class Rooms Survillence
- Workshops - Fire safety
- Play Ground - Controlled entry and exit
- Kitchen - Medical Facility
- Dinning • SERVICES:
- Administartion - Electricity
- Staff Rooms - Water supply
- Dorms for staff - Drinking water
- Meeting Room - Ventilation and Lighting
- Activity Rooms • EDUCATION FACILITY
- Councelling Room • VOCATIONAL TRAINING
- Store Rooms • RECREATIONAL FACILITIES
- Washrooms • LIBRARY

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BIBLOGRAPHY and WEBLIOGRAPHY:

• Delhi Master Plan 2021, Zone P-1, Narela Sub City.
• STATISTICS: Crime in India 2016, National Crime Bureau Record, MINISTRY OF HOME AFFAIRS
• Delhi Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Rules, 2009.
• The Juvenile Justice Act, 2015, MINISTRY OF LAW AND JUSTICE.
• Chapter 12: Public Works, PUBLIC WORK DEPARTMENT, DELHI
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Juvenile_delinquency
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Juvenile_Justice_(Care_and_Protection_of_Children)_Act,_2015
• https://www.indiacelebrating.com/social-issues/juvenile-crimes/
• http://www.mospi.gov.in/statistical-year-book-india/2018/206
• https://shodhganga.inflibnet.ac.in/bitstream/10603/21219/1/10%20chapter-3.pdf
•

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