Basic Literacy Program for Juveniles in Sindh (2017-2018)
The Legal Aid Society piloted a basic adult and legal literacy project for 100 juveniles in the Youthful Offenders Industrial School (YOIS) in Karachi in partnership with Open Society Foundations. The pilot phase started on 1st, September 2017 and got completed on 31st, August 2018. This project was a unique blend of legal and basic literacy programs for youth at risk and in conflict with the law. In the context of basic literacy, the focus is on reading and writing English and Urdu and simple calculations. The course of legal literacy comprised Introduction and Concepts of Law and Fundamental Rights, Criminal Law and its procedures, Prison Rules, Probation, JJSO, Family and Inheritance Law. Following were the objectives of the project:
- Development of an evidence based understanding of the literacy needs of juvenile detainees in prisons in the province of Sindh;
- Improved literacy and legal awareness/consciousness of juvenile detainees in one selected juvenile detention facility;
- Ensured sustainability of the literacy program.