20 Surakarta prison inmates moved to Nusakambangan

Ganug Nugroho Adi
The Jakarta Post

Surakarta, Central Java / Fri, June 24, 2016 / 11:44 am

20 Surakarta prison inmates moved to Nusakambangan

Prison security officers prepare to transfer 20 inmates from Surakarta penitentiary to Nusakambangan prison island in Cilacap, Central Java, on Thursday. (JP/Ganug Nugroho Adi)

Prison authorities have moved dozens of inmates from Surakarta penitentiary in Central Java to the high-security Nusakambangan prison island following frequent fights at the facility.

Twenty inmates, mostly convicted of drug offenses, were moved to Nusakambangan in Cilacap, Central Java, on Thursday at 10 p.m., traveling on three trucks with tight security.

"There are two groups at the [Surakarta] penitentiary that are always in fights. Every time they meet they get involved in arguments or fights. We decided to move them as they can't get along," Surakarta penitentiary security chief Urip Dharma Yoga said on Thursday evening.

The transfer did not only aim to create a more peaceful situation inside the prison, but also to decrease the number of inmates at the overcapacity facility, he added. There are currently 588 inmates detained at the prison, which has a capacity to accommodate 193 people.

The transferred inmates are serving sentences of four to 14 years in prison.

Surakarta penitentiary plans to make regular prisoner transfers every six months. Eleven inmates were previously moved to Nusakambangan, Urip said. (rin)

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