Penal Code Revision to Solve Overcrowding in Prisons: Minister

Law and Human Rights Minister, Yasonna Laoly, stated here on Thursday that the revision of the penal code bill (RUU KUHAP) would offer an alternative penalty for the prisoners, in order to trim overcrowding in jail.

“We should alter our method of punishing criminals. The penal code revision is now introducing a new paradigm of imprisoning the inmates outside the jail,” Laoly remarked during a national seminar in Jakarta.

Overcrowding in prisons, he emphasized, is part of the violation to human rights.

“Hence, the minister is seeking to change the country`s prison system in order to assure that all inmates would have access to basic human rights, such as health services,” Laoly noted, without delivering details on the alternative.

During the seminar, which is organized by the Association of Indonesian Correctional Officers (IPKEMINDO), the minister remarked that some prisons in the country have been overpopulated, including one facility in South Kalimantan.

“I just visited a correctional facility in South Kalimantan, and later found that the number of inmates inhabiting the prison has increased by 300 percent,” he revealed.

The minister compared the prison system in Indonesia with its neighbor Malaysia.

“Prisons in Malaysia have spacious rooms for the inmates. They are able to sleep and eat properly, while here (in Indonesia), most inmates have been inhumanely treated,” Laoly reiterated.

Besides Malaysia, the minister pointed out that Netherlands and Norway also have excellent prison systems that offer proper facilities to transform criminals into better persons for the society.

“The governments of Netherlands and Norway are providing television for inmates. They are not born to commit crimes, but the failure in our social system has forced them to violate the law,” Laoly noted.

Courtesy : Antaranews.com
Photo : SINDOnews

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