Haryana introduces community service guidelines for first-time offenders in petty crimes

Chandigarh, Aug 17 (PTI) The Haryana government has introduced Community Service Guidelines 2025, a policy designed to replace jail terms for certain first-time offenders in petty crimes with structured, socially useful work, officials said.

The reform anchored in the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) reflects a deliberate shift from retribution to rehabilitation -- a philosophy increasingly embraced by the progressive legal systems around the world, an official statement said on Sunday.

Additional Chief Secretary Sumita Misra, who was instrumental in drafting the guidelines, described them as "a framework where justice restores as much as it corrects".

She underscored that the intent is not to diminish the seriousness of offences, but to harness them as moments of transformation, the statement said.

"Under the new policy, judges will have the discretion to assign community service in place of imprisonment for the eligible offenders," Misra said.

The scope of tasks is wide-ranging -- planting trees along riverbanks, assisting in rural health centres, maintaining heritage sites, cleaning public parks, and contributing to social welfare campaigns such as Swachh Bharat.

Each assignment will be carefully matched to an offender's capabilities by taking into account age, physical health, and skill set to ensure that the service is productive for the community and personally meaningful for the individual, the statement said.

The approach is designed to tackle one of the most pressing issues in the Indian criminal justice system -- overcrowded prisons, it added.

By redirecting low-risk offenders to constructive service, the burden on correctional facilities will be eased, while communities will benefit from tangible improvements, Misra said.

According to the guidelines, attendance will be confirmed through biometric verification, while work will be documented with geo-tagged photographs and videos to provide an irrefutable record of compliance.

Periodic progress reports will be submitted to the courts, enabling judicial officials to track each offender's contribution in real time. Officials involved in the programme will receive detailed orientation sessions to ensure uniform application across districts.

The policy also includes tailored provisions for vulnerable populations, Misra said.

Juveniles in conflict with the law will participate in supervised activities such as NCC training, skill-building workshops, and environmental projects that foster discipline and a sense of purpose.

Women offenders will be placed in environments where they can contribute meaningfully while maintaining safety and dignity, including Nari Niketans, Anganwadi centres, maternity wards, and child care facilities.

"The Community Service Guidelines seek to cultivate a broader culture of responsibility. By requiring offenders to contribute directly to the welfare of the communities they may have harmed, the state hopes to instil lasting lessons in empathy, accountability, and citizenship," Misra said. PTI SUN ARI