Safer Futures, Stronger Communities, Preventing Violence and Promoting Alternatives to Detention for Children in West Bengal

Project Objective

• Strengthen the child justice system in West Bengal to adopt child-friendly, rights-based
  approaches that prioritize diversion and alternatives to detention over custodial measures.
• Ensure effective rehabilitation and reintegration of children in conflict with the law through
  family-centred and community-based case management interventions.
• Reduce the vulnerabilities that contribute to children coming into conflict with the law by
  promoting positive parenting, gender-transformative approaches, and youth engagement within
  communities.

Description of the Project

Justice for children requires a system that prioritizes rehabilitation and reintegration over punitive measures. It demands a child-friendly approach that ensures fair and appropriate treatment of children in conflict with the law, aligning with national and international child rights standards. Recognizing that detention can have long-term adverse impacts on a child’s development, there is a growing emphasis on promoting alternatives to detention and diversion mechanisms that are restorative and community-based. These approaches seek to provide children with opportunities for social reintegration, personal growth without exposing them to the harmful effects of custodial settings.

Since 2018, Praajak in partnership with UNICEF, has been implementing interventions aimed at promoting diversion and alternatives to detention for children in conflict with law in West Bengal. This initiative is grounded in the understanding that children who offend typically reflect complex vulnerabilities like poverty, neglect, abuse, and lack of access to supportive services. Recognizing this, a non-punitive, rights-based response demonstrates more effectivity in reducing reoffending and supporting long-term reintegration.

Since its inception in 2018, the initiative has significantly advanced systemic reforms in addressing children in conflict with the law (CCLs) in West Bengal across the Department of Women and Child Development (DWCD), police, and judiciary.

Through JJB and police referrals, 51 CCLs were supported using diversion and alternative detention models through the case management approach. Children have been rehabilitated through family-anchored, community-based support.

A community-based preventive framework was simultaneously developed, grounded in gender-sensitivity and rights-awareness. Manuals on positive parenting, gender and masculinities, and youth leadership were implemented with families and youth groups.

The project is being implemented with police and judicial systems at the state level with a focus on
the districts of South 24 Parganas, Murshidabad and Jalpaiguri.

As a part of this project, Praajak has worked with 51 children in conflict with law (CCLs). As part of
the grassroots initiatives the project works with 60 peer leaders and 25 adolescent groups across the
districts of South 24 Parganas, Murshidabad and Jalpaiguri and

Based on the achievements, objectives, and evolving priorities within the child justice system, the
future course of action seeks to focus on institutionalization, scaling-up, evidence generation, and
prevention. The next phase moves beyond demonstrating successful cases of diversion and
alternatives to detention to embedding these approaches within the state’s child protection and
justice systems.

Donor Name: UNICEF
Website: https://www.unicef.org/
Location: Siliguri, Murshidabad, South 24 Pargana