Govt to set up correctional complex for juvenile boys in Alipur amid sharp rise in minor crime

The complex will feature two main blocks — one housing a children’s home and the other the Juvenile Justice Board. It is expected to accommodate around 200 to 250 boys.

The Delhi government will construct a new integrated correctional complex for juvenile boys in northwest Delhi’s Alipur at an estimated budget of ₹77.35 crore project, officials said on Wednesday. The facility is expected to ease the burden on the Capital’s overcrowded juvenile homes and will be completed over a period of 21 months, they said.

The facility is expected to ease the burden on the Capital’s overcrowded juvenile homes and will be completed over a period of 21 months, said officials. (Archives)

The complex will feature two main blocks — one housing a children’s home and the other the Juvenile Justice Board. It is expected to accommodate around 200 to 250 boys.

A senior public works department (PWD) official said the project will be executed by PWD on behalf of the department of women and child development (WCD). “The integrated complex will include a six-storey children’s home with a basement, and a double-storey block for the Juvenile Justice Board. Each floor of the children’s home will have dedicated spaces for dormitories, classrooms, a library, recreation, counselling rooms, and kitchens,” the official said.

The facility will also feature multilevel stack parking, a sewage treatment plant, internal roads, an electrical substation, surveillance systems, and firefighting equipment. “It will be a self-contained unit and one of the most advanced correctional facilities in Delhi,” the official added.

The Juvenile Justice Board building will include areas designated for lobbies, waiting halls, hearing rooms, the principal magistrate’s office, counselling rooms, and vulnerable witness rooms.

Currently, Alipur houses two juvenile homes for boys — Juvenile Home for Boys-I and Juvenile Home for Boys-II — both located near the Alipur police station on GT Road. These homes form part of Delhi’s broader network of child care institutions, overseen by the women and child department, and are designed to provide care, protection, and rehabilitation to children in conflict with the law.

As of now, Delhi has eight such facilities for under-trial juvenile boys. On June 10, Hindustan Times reported that overcrowding has become a chronic issue in these homes, reflecting a sharp rise in juvenile crimes in the city.

According to WCD data, as of May 5, 421 minors were being housed across Delhi’s juvenile justice facilities — well beyond the sanctioned capacity of 285. Just a year ago, in May 2023, the number stood at 199, meaning the homes were operating at roughly 70% capacity. In under a year, the number has more than doubled, putting severe strain on the juvenile justice system.