The Cipinang Penitentiary in East Jakarta launched Wednesday a waste treatment facility operated by inmates to recycle garbage into compost and plastic shreds.
Penitentiary head Havilludin said not only had the waste treatment facility solved the prison's waste problem, it had also allowed inmates to learn new skills.
"They learn how to make compost from waste and they can use this skill when they get out of prison," Havilludin said.
The inmates also learn how to shred plastic waste, which will be sold to factories and turned into ready-to-use plastic grains.
The penitentiary cooperates with a foundation called Yayasan Pemulihan Insan Indonesia to run the inmate rehabilitation program, which provides training to inmates.
The foundation provided the machines, tools and other requirements needed for the decomposition process four months ago.
The organic waste treatment in the facility, which includes a small machine to shred waste and 16 concrete tanks, has the capacity to process two tons of organic waste each day.
Havilludin said the prison produced around half a ton of organic waste each day so he asked the city Sanitary Agency to send one and a half ton of organic waste from Kramat Jati main market in East Jakarta each day.
The compost produced in the facility is being used in the prison and would also be marketed under trademark "Halipas" (Hasil Limbah Lapas - prison waste product).
The facility also has a machine to shred plastic waste, including drinking bottles and glasses.
In the initial phase, more than 60 inmates were trained to operate the facility with instructors from the foundation.
"The trained inmates will be the motor for the prison recycling program and will share their knowledge with other inmates," said Payaman Simanjuntak, a foundation board member.
The foundation has been involved in inmate service programs at several prisons around the city for more than 10 years.
The Cipinang Penitentiary is currently home to more than 3,500, exceeding its designed capacity of 1,500 inmates, with more than 40 percent convicted for drug related cases.
In December last year the prison opened classes in law held in cooperation with Bung Karno University's faculty of law, through which inmates can obtain a law degree.
Untung Sugiyono, director general of correctional affairs at the Justice and Human Rights Ministry, said he hoped the facilities would help the inmates to move more easily back into society after serving their prison sentence.(dre)
