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View all search resultsCorrections ministry raises inmates' wages above poverty line
The ministry has instituted a new wage of Rp 700,000 for inmates participating in work and empowerment programs, just above the urban poverty rate and a massive increase compared to the previous rate of Rp 50,000-100,000.
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Immigration and Corrections Minister Agus Andrianto speaks during an event to announce sentence reductions for Nyepi (Day of Silence) and Idul Fitri on March 28, 2025, at the Cibinong Penitentiary in Bogor regency, West Java. (Antara/Yulius Satria Wijaya)
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nmates taking part in empowerment programs have been enjoying increased wages, also known as “premium”, as part of the Immigration and Corrections Ministry’s efforts to improve conditions in penitentiaries across the country.
The premium monthly wage of Rp 700,000 (US$41.12) is above the national poverty line of Rp 629,561 per capita per month for urban areas, as set by Statistics Indonesia in March 2025. However, the new figure remains far below the country’s lowest minimum wage of approximately Rp 2 million per month.
“Each convict has received Rp 700,000 per month since minister Agus Andrianto’s term,” ministry spokesman Ahmad Fanani told The Jakarta Post on Saturday.
Agus has led the ministry since its establishment on Oct. 21, 2024, under the administration of President Prabowo Subianto.
“The minimum premium is given so that inmates can still provide [an income] for their families even though they are still in prison,” he said.
Inmates earn premiums for their contributions in services such as laundry, welding, bakery, agriculture and farming.
Read also: Inmate killed in fight at overcrowded prison in North Sumatra
