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Indonesian prisons bursting at the seams
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Inmates stage a protest inside Batubara, North Sumatra's Labuhan Ruku Prison that was set ablaze during a riot on Aug. 18, 2013. The riot began one afternoon after a group of inmates who were transferred from other prisons protested the overcrowding. (AP/-)
T
he Institute Criminal Justice Reform (ICJR) has said prisons and detention centers in Indonesia are experiencing alarming conditions because of the prolonged overcrowding of their occupants.
Based on the ICJR’s observations, detainees have doubled in number from 71,500 to 144,000 people from 2004 to 2011, while prison capacity increased by less than 2 percent, said ICJR director Supriyadi Widodo Eddyono on Friday
"In July 2015, according to the Correctional System Database of the Correctional Directorate General, there were 178,063 detainees spread across 477 prisons," Supriyadi said on Friday as quoted by Antara news agency.
As many as 34 percent of the aforementioned number were pre-trial detainees, he continued, adding that nationally prison density rates have reached 145 percent. In several larger prisons, detainee capacity rates have even reached 662 percent, Supriyadi added.
Overcrowding of detainees has raised security concerns inside prison facilities, he said, adding that a low ratio of officers to detainees had worsened the situation.
"The ratio of officers to detainees is very low. This has caused serious concerns over prison management that could raise the level of violence and criminal activities," said Supriyadi.
The institute urges the government to seriously conduct a thorough evaluation of criminal justice policies in Indonesia, especially in anticipating the overcrowding of prisons.
"Immediate actions to overcome the current situation are also necessary, such as prioritizing the management of large prisons with transitional policies to reduce the risk of riots and security issues," Supriyadi said.
There have been several reports of riots having broken out in prisons around Indonesia, including at the Malabero Prison in the Bengkulu province and the Kerobokan Prison in Denpasar, Bali. (liz/bbn)
