KATHMANDU, Dec 20: Home Minister Om Prakash Aryal visited the prison in Bidur, Nuwakot on Saturday to inspect a vacant block set to be converted into a juvenile correction facility.
A cabinet meeting held on December 18 had approved transforming one of the four vacant blocks of the central prison in Bidur into a rehabilitation center for offenders below 18 years of age currently housed in various juvenile facilities across the country.
During the inspection, Minister Aryal assured that juvenile offenders would soon be relocated to the newly designated facility. He spent time interacting with inmates, listening to their grievances, and assessing their daily needs, including food, accommodation, and other essential services.
Home Minister Aryal orders swift transfer of juvenile offenders...
Minister Aryal also instructed prison authorities to ensure that all activities within the prison strictly adhere to legal standards and respect human rights. Addressing infrastructure concerns, Aryal committed to upgrading the access road to the prison, which families use to visit inmates.
The new juvenile correction center in Bidur is expected to accommodate up to 500 young offenders comfortably. Currently, Nuwakot’s three blocks house 873 prisoners, while the vacant block is being prepared to host the juvenile population.
Frequent clashes have been reported in other juvenile facilities in the country, including in Banke, Biratnagar, and Bhaktapur, largely due to offenders aging beyond the intended age limit of the centers.
Nepal currently has eight rehabilitation centers nationwide, four of which are managed by the NGO called Underprivileged Children's Educational Programs Nepal (UCEF Nepal).
