The total number of convicted and undertrial juveniles imprisoned in various borstal institutes and jails of Punjab province was 645 as on 15 March 2022 (Prisons Department, Govt. of Punjab). Out of the total number of juvenile offenders, 81% (523) juveniles were on trial (under trial) and 19% were convicted juvenile offenders.
All juvenile offenders were male and no female was confined in any jail of Punjab. There were also no condemned juvenile offenders, male and female, in any jail of Punjab.
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Number of Juveniles Convicted/Undertrial and Condemned Confined in Punjab Jails (as on 15.03.2022) |
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| Undertrials | Convicts | Condemned | Total Male | Total Female | Grand Total | |||
| Male | Female | Male | Female | Male | Female | |||
| 523 | 0 | 122 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 645 | 0 | 645 |
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Source: Prison Department, Govt. of Punjab (2022) |
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The majority of convicted juvenile offenders were imprisoned in B.I. & Jail Bahawalpur (61%) and Central Jail Faisalabad (25%).
| Name of Jails for Convicted Juveniles | |
| B.I.& Jail Bahawalpur | 74 |
| Central Jail Faisalabad | 30 |
| Others | 18 |
| Total | 122 |
| Source: Prison Department, Govt. of Punjab (2022) | |
In comparison, undertrail juveniles were kept in 42 jails of Punjab. The highest number of undertrails were reported in Central Jail Rawalpindi (12%), followed by Central Jail Sheikhpura (9%), Central Jail Gujranwala (9%), Central Jail Faisalabad (7%), District Jail Lahore (7%),B.I.& Jail Bahawalpur (6%), District Jail Toba Tek Singh (4%) and the remaining 47% were spread over 35 different jails of Punjab province.
| Name of Jails for Undertrial Juveniles | |
| Central Jail Rawalpindi | 64 |
| Central Jail Sheikhhupura | 47 |
| Central Jail Gujranwala | 46 |
| Central Jail Faisalabad | 34 |
| District Jail Lahore | 34 |
| B.I.& Jail Bahawalpur | 29 |
| District Jail Toba Tek Singh | 21 |
| Other 35 Jails | 248 |
| Total | 523 |
| Source: Prison Department, Govt. of Punjab (2022) | |
The majority of convicted juvenile offenders are sentenced under three crimes: Murder (26%), unnatural offence (26%) and rape (25%).
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Nature of Crimes of Convicted Juveniles |
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| Name of Crime | Section | Male | Female |
| Murder | 302 PPC | 32 | 0 |
| Unnatural Offence | 377 PPC | 32 | 0 |
| Rape | 375/376 PPC | 30 | 0 |
| Control of Narcotics Substance Act, 1997 | CNSA, 1997 9(c) | 2 | 0 |
| Kidnapping and Abduction | 363/364/365/356-A/366/367/369 PPC | 2 | 0 |
| Theft | 380/381/381-A/382/411/457/454/367-A | 2 | 0 |
| Anti Terrorism Act 1997 | 7 ATA | 1 | 0 |
| Civil Prisoner | Family Degree Ijra | 1 | 0 |
| Death By Negligence | 303/304/308/312/319/321/322 PPC | 1 | 0 |
| Miscellaneous | 19 | 0 | |
| Total | 122 | 0 | |
| Source: Prison Department, Govt. of Punjab (2022) | |||
The majority of undertrials were booked under the offence of murder (20%), attempt to murder (4%), un-natural offence (17%), robbery/dacoirty (11%), rape (13%), Control of Narcotics Substance Act 1997 (5%), theft (16%) and other crimes(9%).
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Nature of Crimes of Undertrials Juveniles |
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| Name of Crime | Section | Male | Female |
| Murder | 302 PPC | 106 | 0 |
| Attempt to Murder | 324 PPC | 19 | 0 |
| Unnatural Offence | 377 PPC | 87 | 0 |
| Robbery/Dacoity | 392/394/395/396 PPC | 56 | 0 |
| Rape | 375/376 PPC | 69 | 0 |
| Control of Narcotics Substance Act, 1997 | CNSA, 1997 9(b) (c) | 25 | 0 |
| Kidnapping and Abduction | 363/364/365/356-A/366/367/369 PPC | 8 | 0 |
| Theft | 379/380/381/381-A/382/411/457/454/367-A | 82 | 0 |
| Causing Hurt with blunt/sharp weapon | 337(A-N)PPC | 8 | 0 |
| Anti Terrorism Act 1997 | 7 ATA | 4 | 0 |
| Zina | Sec 10(i)(ii)(iii) Zina Ord, 79 | 4 | 0 |
| Breach of Peace | 107/151 Cr.Pc | 6 | 0 |
| Army Act | 38(1) | 3 | 0 |
| Miscellaneous/Others | 46 | 0 | |
| TOTAL POPULATION | 523 | 0 | |
| Source: Prison Department, Govt. of Punjab (2022) | |||
It is important to examine the issue of undertrial juveniles as it is often reported that many juvenile offenders are unnecessarily held in prison due to delays in court hearings. The prison data does not show number of juvenile delinquents released on probation. Although children are kept in separate barracks in different jails, the Juvenile Justice System Act, 2018, is not being effectively enforced.
Prepared by: Qindeel Shujaat. He can be reached at qindeel@obun2.com
