A Failing System Is Denying India’s Young Offenders a Second Chance
India’s juvenile justice system, meant to rehabilitate young offenders, is failing many children — leaving thousands stuck in adult courts or in legal limbo instead of providing timely reform and reintegration.
Despite being built on the principle that children in conflict with the law deserve reform rather than punishment, India’s juvenile justice system is struggling under systemic weaknesses — with serious consequences for young offenders.
The Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act aims to protect minors and offer them rehabilitative opportunities rather than punitive sentences. However, real-world implementation is falling short. Many children do not appear before Juvenile Justice Boards (JJBs) — the specially mandated bodies for handling youth cases — and are instead lodged in adult prisons for years while their cases drag on through the traditional legal system.
In one reported case, a minor named Pooja spent six years in an adult prison before her case was transferred to a JJB, which then found she was indeed a minor and released her for time served — highlighting a stark failure of the system to act promptly and protect the rights of children.
A recent India Justice Report study also found that more than half of cases before Juvenile Justice Boards remain pending, with significant staffing gaps and structural deficits preventing timely hearings and rehabilitative interventions.
Experts say the lack of accurate data, proper oversight, and fully constituted boards undermines accountability and means many juveniles lose not just legal protection but also the chance to reform and reintegrate into society.
Advocates argue that without urgent reforms — including filling vacant positions on JJBs, improving data systems, and ensuring child-friendly procedures — the system risks further letting down vulnerable young people who need support and second chances.
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