Adolescent offenders, habitual offenders and delinquent children: the reformative strand in Kerala law

Background

The Kerala Legislative Assembly's record of landmark social welfare legislation includes a group of Acts built on reformation rather than punishment alone.
A Kerala Act of 1960 made provisions for the detention of adolescent offenders in Borstal Schools for the purpose of giving instructions and training as are necessary for their reformation.
A Borstal School is therefore a place of detention defined by the age of the inmate and by a training purpose, not an ordinary prison.
The Kerala Habitual Offenders Act, 1960 envisaged the registration of habitual offenders and contained provisions for imparting corrective training to them.
Under The Kerala Children Act, 1972 provisions were made for the development of delinquent children and to give necessary training for their reformation.
The same record lists many other measures under the head Social Welfare, among them The Kerala Gaming Act,1960 and The Kerala Money Lenders Act,1958.