Citation

Ahmad N, Krishnan@Jayabalan SAPJ. BiLD Law J. 2022; 7(1): 16-24.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2022, Bangladesh Institue of Legal Development)

DOI

unavailable

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

Child offenders' physical, emotional, and mental health's development are often severely affected when they are detained in the institutions due to the adverse effects of incarceration. Following the release of child offenders from the institutions, the existing legal framework is inadequate in facilitating their rehabilitation process. Lack of structured programmes, individualized assessments, expertise and inter agencies cooperation failed to meet the children's needs when undergoing the rehabilitation process, leading some children to reoffend. The study's objectives are to analyse the inadequacies of the legal framework governing the aftercare programmes of child offenders following their release from the institutions and propose alternative models as part of the aftercare programmes. A qualitative research design is undertaken to explore issues surrounding the rehabilitation of child offenders. This study involved undertaking library-based research by conducting a literature review from various first and secondary sources to review and explore effective aftercare programmes critically. This research's findings demonstrate that aftercare programmes for child offenders that focuses on the risk-needs and responsivity model can offer a viable alternative for effective rehabilitation programmes. This research concludes that well-delivered aftercare programmes adhering to the risk-needs and responsivity model can effectively reduce the reoffending rates among child offenders.

Language: en

Keywords

child offenders; risk-needs-responsibility; the juvenile justice system