The Delhi government has proposed an integrated juvenile justice complex in Alipur for about 700 children in conflict with law, with separate accommodation, movement routes and support facilities for those accused of heinous offences and those facing lesser charges.
The proposed campus will bring housing, judicial infrastructure, education, healthcare, counselling, recreation, vocational training and rehabilitation facilities together on about eight acres. The Women and Child Development Department has proposed the project to the Public Works Department.
An official said the complex would provide a modern and secure environment where children could receive services while their cases were dealt with under the Juvenile Justice Act. The stated objective is to create a child-friendly and rehabilitative setting while maintaining the security and separation requirements associated with different categories of cases.
At the centre of the proposal is a 120-child intermediate observation home for children aged 12 to 16. It is planned to have 85 beds for children facing petty and serious offences and 35 beds for those accused of heinous offences. The separation would extend beyond dormitories, with distinct movement routes designed to prevent the two groups from encountering one another.
The wider observation home component would accommodate 450 children across three age groups. A junior wing would have capacity for 30 children aged seven to 11, while a separate section would provide 120 places for children aged 12 to 16. A 300-bed senior observation home would serve children aged 16 to 18, with 160 places for petty or serious offences and 140 for heinous offences.
The junior wing is planned with low-height beds, child-friendly bathrooms and dedicated areas for learning, counselling and recreation. The campus would also include a 50-child special home for longer-term rehabilitation and two places of safety with capacity for 200 residents, including young adults aged 18 to 21.
Three Juvenile Justice Boards are proposed within the complex. Separate routes are planned for children brought under escort, judicial officers, families and lawyers. The design is intended to allow cases to be heard on the campus while reducing the need for repeated movement between disconnected institutions.
The proposed facilities also include a 50-bed de-addiction and rehabilitation centre, vocational training areas, digital learning facilities, healthcare services and psychological counselling. An official said the government’s approach was not simply to build a larger correctional facility, but to create a rehabilitation ecosystem where children could appear before a Juvenile Justice Board, receive care and counselling, continue education and take part in skills and rehabilitation programmes at one location.
The proposal remains at the planning stage, with the Women and Child Development Department having placed it before the Public Works Department. The next steps will involve development of the project and its proposed facilities in line with the government’s plan for the Alipur campus.
