Gujarat High Court Criminal Manual (subordinate court practice), 1977
The Bombay Borstal Schools Act-1929, supplements the provisions contained in The Bombay Children Act, 1948, in respect of youthful offenders above the age of 16 years. The Bombay Borstal Schools Act is applicable to offenders of both the sexes. At present, there is no Borstal School, established for girls in this State. Government has, however, approved of certain Homes which are suited for reception of girl offenders of Borstal School age who, if committed to prisons, are released and sent to such Homes under Section 432, Criminal Procedure Code-1973. The aim of the act is to reform young offenders who have fallen into crime and who have acquired bad habits and associations and have thus developed a tendency of leaning towards crime. The Borstal School, Dharwar, provides for the training of such lads in various trades such as carpentry, polishing, weaving, agriculture, tailoring etc. There is accommodation for about 300 inmates in that school. Courts should commit only those offenders to the Borstal School, who are likely to benefit by such training and not those who are hardened or such habitual offenders that institutional training given at much expense by Government is likely to be wasted on them.