Jakarta (ANTARA) - Member of Commission XIII of the Indonesian House\nof Representatives (DPR RI), Rieke Diah Pitaloka, has urged the\ngovernment to immediately issue a Presidential Regulation (Perpres)\nconcerning the National Social Reintegration System to address the issue\nof overcrowding in correctional institutions. According to her, this\nregulation is essential to prevent recidivism and facilitate the\nrecovery of narcotics clients, given that 50 per cent of prison inmates\nin Indonesia are currently involved in narcotics-related offences.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe Presidential Regulation must serve as a national instrument to\naccelerate the implementation of the new Criminal Code (KUHP) and\nCriminal Procedure Code (KUphap) by establishing BAPAS (Parole Offices)\nas the national case manager for the execution of supervisory sentences,\ncommunity service, social reintegration, and post-sentence narcotics\nclients,\u201d Rieke stated in Jakarta on Monday.<\/p>\n
She explained that the regulation should emphasise the accelerated\nestablishment of new Parole Offices, the strengthening of BAPAS posts,\nGriya Abhipraya, and the gradual fulfilment of Correctional Officer (PK)\nhuman resources to meet national requirements. Furthermore, it should\ninvolve the integration of data from the Police, Prosecutor\u2019s Office,\nCourts, Correctional Services, BAPAS, the National Narcotics Board\n(BNN), and Local Governments into a single national digital system.<\/p>\n
Additionally, the regulation should mandate local governments to\nprovide social rehabilitation, health, education, job training,\ncompetency certification, economic empowerment, and community support\nfor correctional clients. This includes reforming the correctional\ncurriculum to focus on improving the quality of inmates\u2019 human resources\nthrough equivalency education, digital literacy, vocational training,\nentrepreneurship, and certifications that align with labour market needs\nand regional economic potential.<\/p>\n
Partnerships between correctional units and the business world,\nindustries, State-Owned Enterprises (SOEs), cooperatives, MSMEs,\nuniversities, and training institutions are also necessary to ensure\nevery inmate has a clear pathway for education, skills, and employment\nopportunities upon release. \u201cThis Presidential Regulation also serves to\nstrengthen rehabilitation and specialised guidance for narcotics clients\nto suppress recidivism and break the chain of narcotics circulation,\u201d\nshe added.<\/p>\n
Rieke noted that the success of the correctional system should not\nmerely be measured by prison security or the number of inmates released.\n\u201cThe true measure of success is how many inmates return to society with\nskills, jobs, economic independence, and do not repeat criminal\noffences,\u201d she explained.<\/p>\n
She stated that if more than half of prison inmates are narcotics\ncases, then the strengthening of BAPAS, correctional education, and\nsocial reintegration must become a national agenda. \u201cWithout this,\novercrowding will continue to recur, recidivism will remain high, and\nthe goals of criminal law reform will not be achieved.\u201d<\/p>\n
Based on correctional data presented by the Director General of\nCorrectional Services during a hearing, the number of inmates in prisons\nand detention centres across Indonesia as of 2 June 2026 reached 272,577\nagainst a capacity of 146,860, resulting in an 86 per cent overcrowding\nrate. At the same time, only 94 Parole Offices are available against an\nideal requirement of 514, and there are only 2,624 Correctional Officers\nagainst an ideal need of 16,422.<\/p>\n
The operational needs for BAPAS in 2026 are estimated at Rp168\nbillion, rising to Rp338 billion in 2027, while budget support remains\nvery limited. Data from the Director General indicates that Indonesia\nfaces serious challenges in implementing Law Number 22 of 2022 on\nCorrections, Law Number 1 of 2023 (Criminal Code), Law Number 20 of 2025\n(Criminal Procedure Code), and Law Number 1 of 2026 (Adjustment of\nPunishment).<\/p>\n
While criminal law reform has shifted the focus towards guidance,\nrehabilitation, social reintegration, and non-custodial sentences, the\ninstitutional capacity to execute these mandates remains inadequate.\nThis situation is inextricably linked to narcotics issues. Research from\nthe Directorate General of Correctional Services in 2026 shows there are\n146,365 inmates in narcotics cases, consisting of 96,030 traffickers,\ndistributors, receivers, and producers, and 50,335 users.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis means more than 50 per cent of correctional inmates are\nnarcotics cases, so the overcrowding problem is essentially an\nunresolved narcotics problem from upstream to downstream,\u201d said Rieke.\nShe emphasised that handling narcotics requires more than just a\nsecurity-based approach; it requires a system connecting sentencing,\nrehabilitation, education, vocational training, social reintegration,\nand regional development to ensure inmates do not return to the same\ncycle of crime.<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/rieke-urges-issuance-of-presidential-regulation-on-national-social-reintegration-system-1780933157", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }