6 August 2020: Following the spike in the COVID-19 cases, the increased risk and the measures to combat infection in Child Correction Home becomes more inevitable than ever. Bimala Kaucha (in-charge of the Child Correction Home at Daduwa Rural Municipality, Banke) informed that the children in the correction homes have so far tested negative for the coronavirus. However, with various District Courts continue to issue orders to detain juveniles in correction homes, the influx of children at Banke- based correction home is never-ending. Kachua shared that no polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test is conducted on children sent to the correction homes, completely flouting the order of Nepalgunj High Court. The ongoing practice has posed an imminent risk of the possible outbreak of the infection in the child correction home.
The total number of children currently residing in the correction home is 101. The facility includes two big rooms that can only accommodate 35 to 40 children. Similarly, the rest of the children are kept in 3 small rooms; 7 to 8 children per room. These children are compelled to be crammed into the available rooms due to lack of space. Parents and visitors’ meetings are restricted to avoid the contraction of the coronavirus. Though masks, sanitizers, soap, and water for washing hands is managed inside the correctional homes as safety measures to tackle the infection, the home still lack adequate infrastructure and basic facilities to cater to the needs of the children at correction homes. The correction home is confronted with scarcity of budget leading to problems such as scarcity of safe drinking water, leaking roof, unfurnished kitchen, and so on. The stakeholders are insensitive to the needs of children and are barely accountable for their responsibilities. There is often a dispute in budget allocation for correction homes. Hence, the representatives at the correction home requested AF lawyers to reach out to concerned stakeholders to address the emerging issues.
