House Member Says Food Security Programme Relevant to Inmate Rehabilitation System
A member of Commission XIII of the Indonesian House of Representatives (DPR RI), Agun Gunandjar Sudarsa, has stated that the food security programme run by the Ministry of Immigration and Corrections (Kemenimipas) is relevant to the correctional system, despite not being part of the ministry’s core duties. “Conceptually, the programme is relevant to the correctional system, even though food security is not the main task of Kemenimipas. It is relevant because the correctional system is a system of treatment for lawbreakers,” Agun said during a focus group discussion on food security at Kemenimipas, broadcast on YouTube, Tuesday.
Agun explained that the correctional system is a treatment system, and inmates whose legal processes are final must carry out tasks assigned by the state, including the food security programme initiated by Kemenimipas. “Therefore, they are obliged to obey and carry out the tasks given by the state, hence the correlation here,” he said. However, he cautioned that the programme must not be seen as exploiting human labour. “Do not let there be an impression of exploiting human labour for business interests. It is said to be relevant because the correctional system is a system of rehabilitation,” he stated.
“The punishment imposed is not an act of revenge by the state, but an action to raise awareness and even return the lawbreaker to being a good citizen in society. This is where special handling of inmates is needed, because after being sentenced, they cannot just be told to eat and sleep; they must eventually return to society,” he added. According to him, the food security programme carried out by inmates is a good initiative, considering they will eventually return to the community, so their skills need to be honed. “Rehabilitation must continue, because the state must not make them worse or turn them into unproductive labour. At the very least, with this rehabilitation, the state prevents recidivism,” he said.
The Chairman of the Indonesian Correctional Retirees Association also revealed three keys to successful corrections: professional officers, inmates, and the community. “Crime would never exist in prisons if the community provided sufficient space and time for them to carry out their social functions. But due to environmental limitations, criminologically speaking, crime is a product of society, so society must share the responsibility,” he concluded.