Ambon Prison strengthens inmate self-reliance programme through cooperative

Ambon (ANTARA) - Ambon Class IIA Prison is strengthening its self-reliance programme for inmates through the management of the Patita Mart and Cafe consumer cooperative, which serves as a space for work training and skills development.

Head of Ambon Class IIA Prison S. Hendra Budiman said on Tuesday that Patita Mart and Cafe is intended not only as an economic facility but also as a means for inmates to gain direct work experience as preparation for their return to society.

“Patita Mart and Cafe is not merely a place to shop, but also a real work training facility for inmates. They are involved in its operations, including as cashiers, so they can acquire skills and confidence as preparation for returning to society,” Hendra said.

He explained that inmate involvement in economic activity forms part of the self-reliance programme, which aims to build skills, responsibility, discipline and self-confidence.

According to Hendra, work experience within the cooperative environment is expected to provide a concrete picture of responsibility and work management that inmates can apply after completing their sentences.

Patita Mart and Cafe previously suffered a fire on 30 June 2026. Ambon Prison subsequently rebuilt the facility with a more representative concept so that it could again be used to support economic activity as well as inmate rehabilitation.

Hendra assessed that the restoration of the facility has become a momentum to ensure the rehabilitation programme continues and provides broader space for inmates to acquire practical skills.

“Self-reliance training must provide experience they can take with them after release. Therefore, we are striving to ensure that inmate involvement in productive activities does not stop at training, but also provides direct work experience,” he said.

Representative of the Ambon Prison Consumer Cooperative management Laras C. Makawimbang said the management of Patita Mart and Cafe will be carried out professionally and transparently to maintain business sustainability.

“We are committed to managing Patita Mart and Cafe professionally and transparently for collective progress,” she said.

With the cooperative back in operation, Ambon Prison is not only restoring an economic facility that had been damaged by fire, but also making it part of a rehabilitation ecosystem that gives inmates the opportunity to learn to work, develop skills, and build readiness to live independently after release.