'Maximize security at prisons'

'Maximize security at prisons'

Seven detainees escaped from the Bojong Gede police cells last
week, while three days later three more broke out of the police
detention center in East Jakarta. The Jakarta Post asked
residents what they thought of the incidents.

Keke, 50, is a paper products retailer. He lives in Pajajaran,
Bogor:

Obviously, whoever was guarding the prison at that time was
not competent in their job.

Since prisons are a place for criminals, we must carefully
choose the people who work in jails.

Often, from what I have heard, people escape from prisons
because they bribe officers.

On the other hand, police officers' salaries are small and
they need to take care of their families. Maybe that is a factor
that contributes to escapes because if you cannot get enough
money, you have the tendency to become corrupt.

Rossberry Nanang, 24, is an assistant director of a
construction materials shop. She lives in Kembangan, West
Jakarta:

Of course (the police) are incompetent. These escapes
illustrate how bad security at our prisons is. Who knows, maybe
the escaped prisoners will later revenge themselves on the people
who put them in prison.

The question is, how did they escape in the first place? We
need to beef up the security system in our jails. It is important
to invest some money into maximizing the security and strictness
of prisons.

Police officers need self-discipline and to take their jobs
seriously. I have heard stories about a convicted criminal having
a coffee in a fancy cafe with police officers. If that was the
truth, then it was not right.

--The Jakarta Post