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A call to advance restorative justice in Indonesia
Overcrowded correctional facilities can also lead to increased crime rates due to strengthened networks between offenders.
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A study, conducted by Indonesia Law Reform Institute cofounder Anugrah Rizki Akbari, concludes that Indonesia has an “overcriminalization” problem, with hundreds of harmless activities having been classified as crimes. (Shutterstock/File)
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s part of the partnership that Denmark and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) have with the local government in Palembang, we recently visited the Palembang Rehabilitation Center (LPKA). It is nationally renowned for its cutting-edge approach in guiding the inmates and it has even won a national award for being the best rehabilitation center.
From providing a dormitory-like facility to providing educational services, computer classes and a library corner, inmates are given the chance to advance themselves and reintegrate into the community seamlessly. We also had a chance to sit down and exchange information with the center’s officials on how they are leading the government’s effort to implement restorative justice.
While retributive justice emphasizes retaliation, restorative justice focuses on reintegration and recovery of a situation between the offender, victim and community members.
In Indonesia, the application of restorative justice was triggered by a soaring number of juvenile offenders and overcrowded correctional facilities. In 2017, the Correction Directorate General said overcapacity occurred in 87 percent of correctional facilities. This has had an impact on inmates’ welfare and access to basic services. Overcrowded correctional facilities can also lead to increased crime rates due to strengthened networks between offenders.
