36 MBG Kitchens in Prisons Ready to Operate by End of This Month
Director General of Corrections at the Ministry of Immigration and Corrections, Mashudi, stated that 36 nutritious free meal (MBG) kitchens constructed on prison grounds are set to become operational by the end of May 2026. “Hopefully by the end of May it will be running. Currently, there are 18 plus another 18, so 36 kitchens have been worked on and built,” Mashudi said in Jakarta on Thursday, 7 May 2026, as quoted from Antara.
Mashudi explained that the Ministry of Immigration and Corrections is also providing prison land as sites for building the MBG kitchens or nutrition fulfilment service units (SPPG). In total, the Directorate General of Corrections (Ditjenpas) has prepared 70 locations for MBG kitchens, but only 36 have been approved and constructed this year.
He noted that the MBG kitchens are being built on prison land, both outside and within the correctional environment. The National Nutrition Agency (BGN) will still pay land lease fees, which are classified as non-tax state revenue (PNBP). “They (BGN) pay PNBP; the land lease must be paid,” Mashudi said.
In addition to providing land, Ditjenpas is involving prison inmates as workers in the MBG kitchens. Out of a total of 46 workers per kitchen, 20 are inmates, with the remainder being professional staff.
Mashudi said the inmates involved have undergone selection and assessment processes, including health checks. “There will be 46 workers, with 26 professionals and 20 from inmates who have been assessed and are capable of working in the kitchen to serve MBG,” he stated.
Mashudi mentioned that the construction progress of the MBG kitchens has reached 90 percent. The locations are spread across various regions such as Sumatra, Sulawesi, South Kalimantan, and Bengkulu.
One MBG kitchen that is already operational is at Sukamiskin Prison and serves as a pilot project. Meanwhile, the MBG kitchens at Batulicin Prison in South Kalimantan and Bengkulu Prison are still under construction.
Previously, Minister of Immigration and Corrections Agus Andrianto expressed support for the MBG programme by utilising prison and detention centre kitchens that meet hygiene and food safety standards.
Agus revealed that there are currently 469 prison and detention centre kitchens that hold hygiene certificates. Additionally, 754 inmates have participated in food service technical training.
Head of the National Nutrition Agency (BGN), Dadan Hindayana, stated that one of the pioneers in establishing and managing MBG kitchens is Sukamiskin Prison in Bandung, West Java. That prison has been managing it since the end of 2024. “This is one of the SPPGs that started the programme on 6 January 2025,” Dadan said when contacted on Friday, 8 May 2026.
Dadan explained that BGN entered into this partnership because prisons are seen as institutions with adequate facilities located in the midst of communities. “BGN feels helped by this extraordinary initiative so that the programme can run smoothly,” he said.
From the SPPG at Sukamiskin Prison in Bandung, Dadan assessed that there are positive impacts on the community and inmates, giving them a sense of purpose in life for others. “They become unafraid to do things for the community,” Dadan added.