Prison to install metal detector, X-ray scanner<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): A metal detector and an X-ray scanner will be
\ninstalled in Cipinang penitentiary in East Jakarta next month in
\nan effort to make the jail more secure, an official said here on
\nMonday.<\/p>\n
Everyone, including the penitentiary staff, will have to pass
\nthrough the security devices before entering, Minister of Justice
\nand Human Rights Yusril Ihza Mahendra said.<\/p>\n
The installation of the devices is aimed at eliminating the
\nsmuggling of weapons and drugs into the jail, Yusril told
\nreporters during a weapons' handover ceremony at which some
\nprisoners symbolically handed over their weapons to the minister.<\/p>\n
Over the past few months, Cipinang penitentiary has seen a
\nnumber of brawls among inmates and some prisoners have also
\nmanaged to escape.<\/p>\n
Yusril said that the devices could not be installed sooner due
\nto a lack of funds.<\/p>\n
Since Aug. 17, a total of 415 weapons have been handed over by
\nprisoners after the penitentiary authorities persuaded them to do
\nso in exchange for remission from the Ministry of Justice and
\nHuman Rights.<\/p>\n
Yusril said that the penitentiary was expecting the prisoners
\nto hand over more weapons under the program, which runs until
\nSept. 15.<\/p>\n
A number of former employees of the now defunct information
\nministry would be deployed to guard the penitentiary, Yusril
\nsaid, adding that some of them had been trained to become
\npenitentiary guards.<\/p>\n
"However, when they were asked to guard the penitentiary, they
\nwere afraid," Yusril said, adding that further training was being
\nprovided so that they would not be so scared.<\/p>\n
Currently there are about 400 staff in the penitentiary,
\nincluding the guards, who work four rotating shifts.<\/p>\n
For every shift, there are only about 45 guards assigned to
\nwatch over more than 2,200 prisoners.<\/p>\n
Yusril said that ideally a guard should only have to supervise
\nsome 40 prisoners.<\/p>\n
To support the guards, the police would deploy some Mobile
\nBrigade teams, he added.<\/p>\n
Cipinang Penitentiary has a capacity of 1,789 prisoners,<\/p>\n
Yusril said that some of them would be sent to the newly-
\nestablished penitentiaries in Tangerang and Cirebon, West Java.<\/p>\n
According to Yusril, most penitentiaries in the country are
\novercrowded because the incidence of crime in the country
\nincreases each year while the number of jails remains the same.<\/p>\n
The government also planned to rebuild cells on Nusakambangan
\nisland off the coast of Central Java, which would eventually be
\nable to accommodate some 10,000 prisoners from around the
\ncountry.(04)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/prison-to-install-metal-detector-x-ray-scanner-1447893297",
"image": ""
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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