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.