The Greater Chennai City Police on Monday launched a pilot project called “PARAVAI” (Personality Attitude Reformation Assistance Venture Affirming Identity) for reforming young first-time offenders and their rehabilitation and reintegration.
This project has been initiated by the Greater Chennai City Police in association with the Prisons and Correctional Services Department, Social Defense Department, and the Tamil Nadu State Legal Services Authority being stakeholders. Aimed at reducing and preventing recidivism and re-arrest, the project is being implemented along with PRISM, an NGO.
P.N. Prakash, judge of Madras High Court, and Commissioner of Police Shankar Jiwal launched the programme and released a logo in the presence of DGP (Prisons and Correctional Services) Sunil Kumar Singh.
Mr. Prakash recalled a pilot project which was launched for the rehabilitation of first-time petty offenders aged 18-24 and lodged in the Saidapet sub-jail under the name PATTAM (Personality and attitude transformation through therapeutic assistance and management). He said the face of the police had to change and they should have paternal and maternal roles while handling young offenders.
Mr. Jiwal said: “We did study the offences that were committed in the last three months and about how many were involved in acts such as bodily harm and property offences. We found that almost 50% of the offenders are juveniles. The figure is mind boggling. Among the 50%, 74% are from urban habitats in socially backward areas. Now, we are working with the University of Madras and some questionnaires have been designed to identify the population of youth who are addicted and those who have seven or eight cases against them.”
Published - March 29, 2022 01:26 am IST
