MPs demand action after 49 injured in Banke Juvenile Correction Home clash

KATHMANDU: The Members of Parliament (MPs) have raised concerns regarding a recent clash at the Jayandu Juvenile Correction Home in Banke, which left 49 people injured last Friday night.

During the emergency session of today’s Parliament, MP Roshan Karki emphasized the need for the government to give special attention to the incident.

He stated, “49 children were injured in the clash at the Jayandu Juvenile Correction Home, and there was also a fire. In the past, the Parliamentary Committee on Women and Social Affairs had conducted an inspection of the center and submitted a report to the government, raising several issues.”

He also highlighted concerns regarding the center’s failure to meet health standards and the use of narcotics within the facility, urging the government to address these matters.

MP Surya Prasad Dhakal mentioned that the establishment of prisons in Nepal began in 1980, and currently, the country’s prisons are overcrowded.

He stated, “Among the 75 prisons across 72 districts, which have the capacity to house 16,000 prisoners, more than 30,000 prisoners are currently held.” Dhakal further pointed out that 42 children under the age of five are living with their incarcerated mothers. He noted that the monthly expenditure for maintaining 30,000 prisoners exceeds Rs 17 crore.

He emphasized that, in light of the recent incident at the Juvenile Correction Home, individuals over the age of 18 should not be placed in such facilities.

MP Deepa Sharma remarked that the clash at the correction home occurred because individuals between the ages of 10 and 30 were being housed together.

She stressed that legal reforms are necessary to address this issue, suggesting that those over the age of 18 should be transferred to regular prisons instead of juvenile correction facilities.

MP Shanti Shrestha reported that students had set fire to the juvenile center. She reiterated that only children should be housed at correction homes and called for a ban on placing individuals over 18 years of age in such facilities.

She also mentioned reports of juveniles leaving the center to use narcotics, further exacerbating the facility’s problems.

The MPs’ remarks highlight growing concerns about the conditions at the Jayandu Juvenile Correction Home and the need for legal reforms to ensure better management of correction facilities in Nepal.