Restorative justice and accountability circles at Juvenile Correction Home

Background

For the children and youths in conflict with law, transition from correction homes back into their communities tends to be critical turning points of life. While a new future awaits them, they also face several barriers related to community and family acceptance, psycho-social effects, self-development, skill development, education, and socio-economic conditions. 

It was considering these factors that Nepal Forum for Restorative Justice (NFRJ) signed an MoU with the Juvenile Correction Home in Bhaktapur earlier this year to start a holistic need-based reintegration and restorative justice support. And towards this, it carried out a needs assessment as to what support systems exist for those children and youths coming out of Juvenile Correction Homes, where they have spent important times of their childhood, and what could be done as they (re)integrate back into society. The NFRJ team did a first phase of interviews with 25 individuals in the month of June, who were about to leave the Correction Home within three months, ensuring that the sessions were need-based and directly relevant to the juveniles’ experiences and challenges.

Based on the findings of the needs assessment, a holistic three-day program from 15 to 18 July 2024 was designed focusing on legal awareness, psycho-social well-being, and restorative circles. The package of the whole program aimed to shift the perspective from punitive measures to empowerment and positive citizenship. These sessions collectively provided a holistic approach, addressing legal, psychological, and social aspects of anger management and reintegration, tailored specifically to the needs identified through the initial interviews.

Day 1 (15 July 2024): Legal Orientation

In a room with 20 individuals, faces of hope and nervousness, the first session of the three-day event kicked off with an introduction of reintegration and restoration in the context of juvenile justice and what the NFRJ as an organization stood for. This ignited a spark in some individuals’ eyes, as for the first time they are hearing the possibility of betterment outside the premises of Juvenile Correction Home. 

When asked to write what the term “justice” means to them, participants offered diverse responses, ranging from emotional concepts like love, affection, sorrow, family and support to more tangible ideas such as physical grounding or visual observation. Following the discussion, participants expressed keen interest in legal procedures, including potential counterclaims and threats from the victim’s family post release, punishments for correction facility misconduct, and the appeals process. Some of them also desired regular legal education sessions and access to the nation’s criminal code and general law. 

Then the facilitators gave an overview of fundamental rights of an individual in Nepal, including right to freedom, right to employment, how to acquire a driving license, citizenship, and the importance of voting, the participants are slowly understanding their inalienable rights. Further, the facilitators discussed basic legal duties, including keeping the surrounding clean, providing assistance in one’s locality, followed by the what an individual should not do after going back to their community, such as vandalizing public property, drinking and driving, marrying before legal age, practicing polygamy, The presentation also addressed the critical topic of consent in various contexts and highlighted the differences between regular jail and Juvenile Correction Home. Participants were informed about prohibited behaviors within Juvenile Correction Home and the potential consequences of rule violations. Towards the end of the presentation it provided essential helpline numbers, ensuring participants had access to support resources when needed.

As the session came to its conclusion, the change from nervous and hopeful participants turned into curiosity and openness with their questions. Various questions and misunderstandings were carefully addressed and cleared. 

This session had been extremely crucial for their future learnings as these participants would leave these four walls soon, the transition from living in the current environment to back to their community was important, for which they need to be prepared accordingly. As the session progressed, participants had gradually realized their roles and responsibilities towards the state, as a contributor to their community. All of them had agreed to help the state in the time of need. The slow change from learners to responsible and hopeful citizenship by the end of the session was a heartwarming change to see. This had displayed the impact of a fruitful education and open dialogue. 

Day 2 (16 July 2024): Psychosocial well-being

Based on a first phase of assessment which showed that 12 individuals struggled with issues of anger, the second day was designed especially to cater to this need. The second day was facilitated by Mr. Ganesh Amgain, a consultant psychologist of NFRJ. As the discussion on anger begins, a creative activity was conducted to help create interactive and well engaged participants. They talked about their triggers, including bad mouthing, spreading rumors, backbiting, talking ill about their parents, beating without any reason, yelling and shouting harshly without any reason. The self-reflection through the “talking piece” was a powerful moment.

Participants fell silent as each participant turned in, talking about their thoughts and feelings regarding anger one by one. The facilitator started with his presentation about anger management which stated three steps for managing anger. This later led to group discussions filled with energy and curiosities. These concrete strategies offer a lifeline to those who have felt overwhelmed by their emotions inside the four walls of Juvenile Correction Home, also compelling them to think of alternatives during the time of anger, affecting their decision making and results. In addition, the distinction between anger, aggression, and rage by the facilitator brought more clarity and self-reflection. The workshop ended with a feedback circle, looking at one another drawing of “the visual of latest anger’’ and talking about it. 

Reflections

All participants in the workshop towards the end realized that while anger is normal, how it is expressed is social or controllable. They agreed upon having a common problem “anger” by the end of the workshop, and cleared curiosities regarding anger management, sharing their experience all together is a path of self-discovery. These individuals stepped out of the room with not just a different experience and knowledge, but a new feeling of potential within themselves.

Participants agreed to take three deep breaths whenever they feel angry and to implement the tips and tricks shared during the session. The session emphasized normalizing anger as a valid emotion, similar to happiness and sorrow. However, this does not condone escalating anger into rage or aggression, but instead, the focus is on pausing for a few seconds before reacting.

Day 3 (18 July 2024): Restorative and accountability circles

The workshop commenced with the participants sitting in a circle, being their creative inner child-like self, concentrating on coloring the mandala art as well as interacting with one another.  Reflecting the previous two sessions, the workshop shifted towards an activity where Mr. Ram Tiwari, the facilitator of the session, did an exercise to reminisce about those whose past the round was over, participants again shared about what or who they missed the most after coming there. One said freedom, and a few others mentioned family.

Furthermore, participants again in the same round shared what or who they missed the most being there inside the Juvenile Correction Home. When they started to share one after the other, the hall became filled with emotions. One could easily differentiate the emotions in the participants’ voices. It was a bittersweet activity.

Moving forward, the workshop included a role-play activity where three hypothetical scenarios, familiar to real-life situations, were presented before the participants. They participated, allowing themselves to play the role from both the victim’s side and the offender’s side. During the role play, the one who chose to play the victim got a chance to feel and be on the other side and have a real conversation as a victim, which was a pivotal moment for all. This made the participants empathize with the victims and cultivate accountability for their actions. Throughout the course of this role play session, one could see the transformation from role play to empathy and connection.

From the beginning to end, all 22 participants travelled through the journey of self-discover, realization and empathy. The participants left the room with a newer and wider perspective, a perspective of victims, their families and their societies as a whole. The workshop proved that in an environment as challenging as this, providing spaces for respect and care can generate a serious sense of responsibility and community. 

The three-day workshop conducted by NFRJ at the Juvenile Correction Home in Bhaktapur represents a crucial step towards holistic approach and reintegration of youth and children in conflict with the law. The curriculum designed from this workshop consisted of legal education, psycho-social well-being and restorative practices which addressed all the aspects and catered to all the needs identified during the first phase of assessment.

The workshop resulted in providing new perspectives to the participants in thinking outside the four walls of Juvenile Correction Home. The transformation in their thoughts was reflected in the activities through empathetic behavior. This initiative by NFRJ  was a step by step approach in Juvenile Justice, emphasizing the importance of reintegration and restorative practices.