New law effect: 300 juveniles to go correction centres from jails

POKHARA: The Civil Code Act which came into effect on Friday requires transfer of 300 juvenile delinquents serving jail sentences to correction centres.

The new Civil Code has identified persons below the age of 18 as minors. As per the new law, person above the age of 18 will be considered a legally-able-adult. Earlier the age ceiling to be identified as minor was set at 16 years.

In this backdrop, juveniles below the age of 16 were housed in correctional facilities prior to implementation of new laws.

According to Department of Prison Management Director General Hari Mainali, details of 300 felons between the age of 16 to 18 years has been collected and prison authorities across the country have been briefed on transfer of the juveniles to correction centres.

At present, the government runs three child correction facilities  in Biratnagar, Bhaktapur and Pokhara. With new law in place, additional correction centres in Parsa, Makwanpur, Rupandehi, Banke and Doti will come into operation soon, officials informed.

The convicts who are yet to be transferred will be kept at new correction centres.