Money makes the world go round behind bars<\/p>\n
By Imanuddin<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Who says life is hard in a correctional
\nfacility? For people with cash to splash or any other clout, life
\nin jail can apparently be pleasant.<\/p>\n
During a recent unannounced visit to the Cipinang penitentiary
\nin East Jakarta, Minister of Justice Oetojo Oesman was surprised
\nto find that businessman Eddy Tansil, who is serving a 20-year
\nterm for corruption, has a color TV set and a fan inside his
\ncell, items considered luxuries even for the average Indonesian.<\/p>\n
The finding did not outrage only Oetojo. Several members of
\nthe House of Representatives suggested that Eddy should be sent
\nto the high security prison island of Nusa Kambangan off the
\nsouthern coast of Central Java.<\/p>\n
Eddy's case highlights what four former inmates say is normal
\npractice in Indonesian prisons, and has the potential of inciting
\ntrouble and riots in jails.<\/p>\n
This envy of fellow inmates' privileges, they said in separate
\ninterviews, was what caused the riot in the Tanjung Gusta prison
\nin Medan, North Sumatra, last month which left six inmates dead,
\nall having been burnt alive.<\/p>\n
Before Tanjung Gusta, other notorious riots occurred in Becora
\nin East Timor, the Tanggerang correctional facility just outside
\nJakarta and in Cipinang.<\/p>\n
According to official accounts, the Tanjung Gusta incident
\nstarted when six prisoners, reputedly the most notorious in the
\ncorrectional facility, attacked fellow inmates for no apparent
\nreason.<\/p>\n
This incited an immediate backlash. Hundreds of other inmates
\nassaulted the six men, threw them into a cell, stuffed mattresses
\nand pillows inside, and set the cell on fire before locking it.<\/p>\n
The six men, either because of their notoriety or because of
\ntheir wealth, had been receiving special privileges from the
\nprison guards, including TV sets in their cells, cooking utensils
\nand permission to walk around the prison grounds.<\/p>\n
Ironically the incident occurred barely a month after the
\nHouse of Representatives enacted a new law on correctional
\nfacilities, designed to make the system more effective in
\nreforming inmates and enhancing the career of prison guards and
\nwardens.<\/p>\n
While officials and experts argue for a better method of
\nreforming and rebuilding the character of inmates to prevent
\nreoffending, the four former convicts interviewed by The Jakarta
\nPost argue for an immediate end to the discriminatory practices
\nwhich they say are rampant in Indonesian jails.<\/p>\n
\"The riot in the Medan prison was sparked by jealousy between
\nthe inmates,\" Anton Medan, who has served time for murder, says.
\n\"Discriminatory treatment by prison guards and wardens is the
\nmain cause,\" he adds.<\/p>\n
Money talks loudly in correctional facilities, he says. \"An
\ninmate could be put on parole or take part in an assimilation
\nprogram if he gives prison wardens or guards sufficient money.\"<\/p>\n
Another inmate, who preferred to remain anonymous, points to
\nthe length of visiting hours prisoners are allowed as another
\nexample of discriminatory practices. \"Visitors who pay more will
\nbe given longer time to talk with the inmates,\" he says.<\/p>\n
Iwan Cepy, who spent time in Cipinang for murder, says there
\nis stiff competition among inmates to be appointed the foreman by
\nthe wardens because such an appointment entails privileges.<\/p>\n
A foreman, the highest status that an inmate can attain in a
\nprison, has the authority to collect and manage funds, or
\ndeposits in correctional parlance, from fellow inmates.<\/p>\n
A foreman has more freedom to move around inside the prison,
\nadds Iwan, who admits that he reached such status when he was
\nserving time. \"They didn't even lock my cell,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Syahrial, another former inmate who was convicted for robbery,
\nconcurred that the existence of discriminatory practices inside
\njails is not a baseless rumor as some officials have tried to
\nmaintain.<\/p>\n
The former convicts interviewed all believe that the practice
\nof trading privileges in return for money inside correctional
\nfacilities has been made possible because of prison guards and
\nwardens' low salaries, especially given the poor image in the
\neyes of the public.<\/p>\n
Judging from their concern, the four appeared to have greater
\nunderstanding of the problems of prison officials than the public
\ndoes.<\/p>\n
\"How can we expect total commitment from a prison official if
\nhe is not well paid?\" Iwan asks.<\/p>\n
Anton says most people have no idea about the profession.
\n\"They have a very tough life because they have to supervise
\nhundreds of inmates, for only a meager salary,\"<\/p>\n
Syahrial believes that discriminatory practices will remain as
\nlong as the guards' welfare is not improved.<\/p>\n
Under the current situation, prison guards and inmates, at
\nleast the wealthy ones, have become mutually dependent, he says.
\n\"Inmates need the privileges, the guards need the money.\"<\/p>\n
\"Money is the most important thing in determining what kind of
\ntreatment you get in prison,\" says the anonymous ex-convict.<\/p>\n
He admits that he also bought early freedom. \"I left Cipinang
\none month before the scheduled time,\" he says.<\/p>\n
Anton says that the religious sermons held in correctional
\nfacilities intended as part of an inmate's character reformation
\nshould also be given to the prison guards.<\/p>\n
\"The prison officials have never been given religious sermons
\nto build their own personality. How can we expect them to talk
\nabout religion and good things?\" he asks.<\/p>\n
Anton also says the religious sermons held in the correctional
\nfacilities were mostly conducted by young and freshly graduated
\npreachers, and inmates cannot but help feeling that they are
\nbeing treated as guinea pigs.<\/p>\n
The anonymous convict also questions the effectiveness of the
\ncorrectional facility in reforming an inmate's character because
\nwhen they return to society, they usually find people
\ndiscriminate against them because of their status.<\/p>\n
He recalled that on the day he was released he approached a
\nprison guard and asked him to fix him up with a job as had been
\npromised earlier.<\/p>\n
The guard, he says, responded: \"What do you expect from me?
\nOut there, many engineers are out of work. What chance do you
\nhave?\"<\/p>\n
The correctional facility, he says, has become a training
\nground for some inmates to learn more advanced criminal skills
\nand tactics. \"An inmate convicted for stealing a hen, will try to
\nsteal an airplane once released,\" he says, only half jesting.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/money-makes-the-world-go-round-behind-bars-1447893297",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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