The death of three boys allegedly due to torture at a correction centre in Jashore only exposes glaringly both systemic weakness and placement of wrong people in charge of such facilities. By definition a correction centre -- unlike a prison, a gaol or detention centre -- is a place where even a hardened criminal, let alone a juvenile, is expected to become a better person. Norway's Halden Prison has proved that even murderers, rapists and drug traffickers respond to the caring treatment of the high performing prison officers in a peaceful environment. The very term guard is offensive there and prison officers are role models, coaches and mentors all in one. If those in charge of the inmates resort to rough behaviour and cruelties while dealing with the latter, how can they exert a sobering influence in favour of a mellow character and mutual trust and bonding?
Sure enough, it is a challenging task but not impossible. In the Norwegian prison recidivism has, not for nothing, declined to just 20 per cent as against 50 per cent in Britain and 60-70 per cent in the United States of America. In a country like Bangladesh, there is little scope for recidivism when prisoners come out on completion of their sentences; rather they may have acquired graver criminal tendencies in company with fellow inmates. But in juvenile correction centres at least the Norwegian experiments and experiences can be replicated. This will definitely call for far greater investment and it is worth doing in the interest of the young generation. The skeleton staff now employed to look after young offenders, which is moreover ill educated will have to be replaced by well educated and trained people who will act as friends, philosophers and guides.
It is the qualification of officers-in-charge that matter. They will surely go for security and riot training but more importantly they have to study law, ethics, criminology etc; and must be trained on reintegration and social work. In Norway, the selected candidates spend two to three years before qualifying for jobs at prisons. This is unthinkable right now for Bangladesh prisons but the juvenile correction centres can be brought under a programme where the officers will be qualified enough on completion of education and training for no less than a year, if not more. Such officers will dine together, play together, prepare them for studies, encourage them to participate in extra-curricular and cultural activities.
The way correction centres are managed here can never be ideal for developing characters and inculcating values. A comprehensive programme has to be chalked out for reforming the centres. Today's delinquents are tomorrow's criminals. It is easier to temper the criminal proclivity at a tender age than later in life. This makes sense for earmarking an adequate budget for rearrangement of correctional facilities and improvement of conditions there. If young offenders come out free from recidivism, there is a chance that in future the number of adult and hardened criminals will drastically drop in the country.
