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AKARTA: A man jailed for eight months on Wednesday by a district court in Aceh for attempted burglary is seeking a longer stretch behind bars because he has found life in jail to be much better than life outside.

The judges could hardly believe what they were hearing when Supriyadi, 20, who has been detained since he was arrested three months ago, said upon the pronouncement of his verdict that he would appeal for a longer prison term because he found life in jail very comfortable.

“In jail, I get free meals,” the convict told reporters as he was whisked to a car to take him back to his cell. “This morning, they served rice with egg-plant soup and tempeh for breakfast.”

Supriyadi was charged with breaking into his neighbor’s home in late-2012. Unfortunately for Supriyadi, the owner of the house woke up and screamed for help before he managed to steal anything. Prosecutors had sought a one-year prison sentence.

“Before I was locked up, I lived a miserable life. I earned less than Rp 35,000 [US$4] a week, so I was dependent on my friends to survive,” he told detik.com.

In prison, Supriyadi washes clothes belonging to fellow convicts for Rp 1,000 per item and is able to save money from his efforts.

“I’m scared at the prospect of being jobless again as soon as I leave prison.”