Govt to raise allowances of penitentiary staff

Govt to raise allowances of penitentiary staff

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

The government will more than double the monthly allowances of
over 22,000 prison staff across the country in 2006 to help
improve their welfare and curb financially driven misconduct.

Level 1 employees will receive a monthly allowance of Rp
250,000 (US$24.75) -- whereas before they received Rp 100,000 --
while level 2 employees will receive Rp 300,000 from Rp 110,000.

Level 3 will employees will receive Rp 350,000 from Rp
120,000, while employees in level 4, a newly established level,
will receive Rp 400,000.

During a hearing on Wednesday with House of Representatives
Commission III for law and legislation and human rights, Minister
of Justice and Human Rights Hamid Awaluddin said through
improving the welfare of prison staff they would be less likely
to commit crimes for financial reasons.

There have been a number of such crimes reported, including
staff helping prisoners escape and dealing drugs with the
assistance of inmates.

Prison staff will also receive a meal allowance of
Rp 7,000 for night shifts only. Last year's figure was Rp 4,000.

The ministry also requested that the House budget for the
repayment of the prisons' debts to food suppliers, which amount
to Rp 148.64 billion.

The debts were accumulated over previous budget years
as the prisons lacked funds to buy enough food for all prisoners.

"The debts may cause small-scale food suppliers in regions to
go bankrupt. One has already pulled out from supplying food,"
said Hamid.

Meanwhile, the ministry's directorate general of
penitentiaries Mardjaman said a new maximum-security prison would
be set up in Permisan, near Nusa Kambangan island, Central Java,
for convicts of high-profile crimes, such as terrorism and
corruption.

"We already have already built part of the prison, but it is
yet to be used. This prison is also out of range for cellular
signals.