Minister Agus Inspects House Renovations in Warungkiara Prison Environs

Sukabumi (ANTARA) - Minister of Immigration and Corrections Agus Andrianto inspected a community service initiative to renovate houses and places of worship in the vicinity of the Class II A Warungkiara Penitentiary in Sukabumi, West Java, on Wednesday. A total of five uninhabitable houses and two mosques received renovation assistance funded by the bumper harvest of inmates. The houses were constructed in two weeks, featuring robust build quality using materials from Jawara Beton, which is produced by inmates at the Class I Tangerang Prison. In addition to improving the physical structure of the houses, the homes were furnished with items including a sofa set, wardrobe, and bed. This social renovation programme for homes and places of worship is part of the Ministry of Immigration and Corrections’ action programme supporting the government’s agenda on food security and the national plan to build three million houses. “So, our task is to see how we can be a part of contributing to the achievement of his (the president’s) programmes, starting from food security to affordable housing,” said Agus. According to Agus, this correctional action programme also serves to introduce the high-quality work produced by inmates. The public can also access products made by prisoners, including the concrete for house construction produced by Jawara Beton at Tangerang Prison. “So, we are trying to introduce this product to the public, because building on your own land usually takes too long,” he said. As the oldest person in the village, Karta expressed gratitude for receiving government attention to live in a more decent home in his twilight years. “I offer my deepest thanks to the government, especially the ministry, for paying attention to its people,” said Karta. Uci (50), Karta’s grandchild, admitted she was shocked when offered the home renovation assistance by Warungkiara Prison on behalf of the Ministry of Immigration and Corrections. She said everything was extremely sudden, and when asked, they inquired about the home ownership status and property title certificate. “I was just shocked when asked about renovating the house, then questioned about the land status, the documents—I had it all. It was all so fast, and the house construction was finished in just two weeks,” said Uci. Previously, the house that Uci lived in with her husband and two children was made from half-woven bamboo walls with a communal bathroom outside. Now, after the renovation, the house is much better, consisting of a living room, bedroom, kitchen, and bathroom. “Alhamdulillah, now there are no more bamboo walls. The bathroom is no longer outside either,” she said. The construction of these renovated houses also used Jawara Beton pressed bricks produced by inmates at Class I Tangerang Prison, and the building work also involved inmates from Class II A Warungkiara Prison.