Juvenile Detention and Rehabilitation: A Cross-Cultural Study of Public Policy and Architectural Design with Community-Based Approaches

Due to the lack of a widely accepted definition, it is difficult to define juvenile criminal conduct. Still, it is generally defined as antisocial behavior or criminal activity committed by individuals under the age of 18. Criminal cases are governed by juvenile codes that prioritize rehabilitation over punishment and have the age of criminal liability set at 18 in the majority of legal systems. Juvenile correctional institutions are intended not as places of harsh confinement but as environments for safety, guidance, and personal reform. The purpose of this study is to investigate how environmental psychology and architectural design influence the creation of environments that aid in the rehabilitation of juvenile offenders. It stresses the significance of therapeutic environments, non-punitive settings, and humane treatment. The study focuses on Punjab, Pakistan, & highlights a troubling infrastructure gap: Despite having the nation's highest juvenile crime rate, the region has only two outdated juvenile detention facilities and no dedicated juvenile courts. This demonstrates how urgently renovated, purpose-built spaces that place reform of retribution are required.