JAKARTA: The Immigration and Corrections Ministry has granted special remissions for 154,785 prisoners and reduced prison sentences for 1,123 juvenile offenders on Aidil Fitri.
Of the total number of remissions granted, the ministry released 1,143 prisoners and 19 youth offenders.
“The special remission and the sentence cut are granted as a form of state recognition to inmates who have demonstrated positive behavioural changes and have actively participated in rehabilitation programmes," said the ministry’s correctional services director general Mashudi on Saturday (March 21), as quoted by Detik.
“We hope this momentum will further motivate them to continue improving themselves and to prepare for their reintegration into society,” he added.
Mashudi noted that the initiative had potentially saved Rp 109.2 billion (US$6.4 million) in the state budget, while adding that the ministry was also providing incentives for inmates who had been actively participating in empowerment initiatives, such as micro, small and medium enterprise (MSME) workshops, as well as food self-resiliency programmes.
“This activity is held simultaneously by all kanwil [regional offices], prisons and detention centers across Indonesia, [the activity] includes the granting of remission and prison sentence reduction, as well as incentives and social aid,” he said.
The West Java regional office recorded the highest remission recipients, reaching a total of 18,335 people this year, followed by regional offices in North Sumatra at 15,621 people and East Java at 14,244 people. - The Jakarta Post/ANN
