Bill on correctional system

Bill on correctional system

JAKARTA (JP): The government yesterday presented to the House of Representatives a bill on the correctional system, seeking to reaffirm the principle of imprisonment as a means of rehabilitation rather than punishment.

Minister of Justice Oetojo Oesman, on behalf of the government, said during the first deliberation of the bill at a plenary session of the House that it was high time the principle of rehabilitation, first introduced in 1964, was incorporated into the national legislation

After more than 30 years of applying the principle, subjecting it to tests and reviews, the government prepared the draft law to provide a strong legal foundation to the correctional system in Indonesia, Oetojo said.

The principle of rehabilitation applies to both convicts and delinquent juveniles who are put under state care, he said as reported by Antara.

The bill stipulates that convicts and juvenile offenders are entitled to counseling and guidance while in correctional institutions, so that they can return to society as responsible citizens useful to the country, he said.

According to the bill, imprisonment should not be seen as an act of vengeance by the state.

The principle, however, does not seem to apply to offenses that carry the death penalty, such as subversion, drug trafficking and some types of murder.

The bill will replace some of the laws and regulations still in existence which Indonesia inherited from the Dutch colonial administration and which need replacing. They include regulations on imprisonment, on parole, on enforced education and conditional release, according to Antara. (emb)