An investigative team from the Justice and Human Rights Ministry recommended Thursday that several prison guards allegedly at fault for a recent mass prison break from Abepura Penitentiary be reassigned to other prisons in Papua.
The ministry’s director general of socialization, Bambang Winahyo, and a member of the team told reporters in Jayapura that four prison guards who should have been on duty but were absent at the time of the prison break were among 11 prison guards earmarked for transfer.
“We hope the transfer will change them — improve their discipline. They may be bored working at the prison so their discipline has deteriorated,” Bambang said.
The team carried out the investigation following the escape of 26 inmates from the prison on June 8.
Since the escape, none of the convicts have been recaptured.
Bambang said that following the transfer of the 11 prison guards, the Papua Justice and Human Rights Office requested help from the Papua Police to assign 10 police Mobile Brigade personnel to temporarily replace them.
“Five officers will be on duty in the day time and five at night,” he said.
The team’s other recommendations included a request for 25 Correctional Academy graduates to man the Abepura prison for six months and enforce discipline among guards.
“We hope they will have a positive influence, especially on the other prison guards here. After accomplishing their jobs, they can return to Jakarta,” he said.
Among the immediate improvements the investigative team is tasked with carrying out, is repairing the prison’s barbwire fences and cutting down banana trees near the prison’s walls, which are feared could aid an escape.
Detectives from the Papua Police were still conducting an investigation at the prison on Thursday to determine whether the mass prison break had been premeditated.
“If we find criminal elements involving prison guards or anyone, we will process such cases according to the law,” Bambang said.
Papua Justice and Human Rights Office head Bunas Nasaruddin has already issued a letter requesting the transfer of the 11 prison guards.
“Some will be reassigned to the Doyo narcotics prison in Sentani and the others to the juvenile detention center,” he said.
He said the 11 guards would be processed legally if detectives found evidence they aided the escapes.
