'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