Minister of Immigration and Corrections Opens WCPP 2026, Urges Global Transformation to Restorative Justice

Minister of Immigration and Corrections (Imipas) Agus Andrianto opened the 7th World Congress on Probation and Parole (WCPP) 2026. Agus reaffirmed Indonesia’s commitment to promoting the transformation of the correctional system towards a more humane and sustainable restorative justice approach. The event is being held from 14-17 April 2026 at the Bali International Convention Center under the theme ‘Getting Smart on Justice: Healing Hearts, and Safer Societies’. Agus explained that the theme reflects the current dynamics of the correctional system, which is moving towards a smarter, data-based approach. “The correctional system is no longer solely about imprisonment, but also about rehabilitation,” said Agus in his statement, as seen on Tuesday (14/4/2026). He also emphasised the importance of the restorative justice approach, where the law is no longer oriented towards retribution, but towards social reintegration. “Rehabilitation is not only for the offenders, but also for victims and society, so as to restore social relationships that have been disrupted,” he added. In the context of a safer society, Agus highlighted the strategic role of Correctional Institutions through guidance and supervision to break the chain of recidivism and create harmony between society and law enforcement. In addition, Agus stated that WCPP is a strategic forum that brings together correctional stakeholders from various countries to exchange experiences, formulate ideal mentoring models, and produce recommendations as references for best practices at the global level. This forum, Agus explained, is expected to make a real contribution to strengthening the correctional system, particularly in the development of alternative penalties and conditional release. On this occasion, he highlighted the high global commitment, where delegates from 44 countries still attended amid the dynamics and escalation of world geopolitics. He said that the trust in Indonesia as the host is an honour as well as a great responsibility. “The choice of Bali is inseparable from its cultural values that represent the face of Indonesia, where local wisdom goes hand in hand with the progress of the times,” he stated. Agus also appreciated the support from the Bali Regional Government and highlighted the involvement of inmates in supporting the event, including through products exhibited to international delegates. “This is expected to become motivation for inmates to remain productive while opening up wider marketing opportunities,” he revealed. Furthermore, he affirmed that Indonesia is also open to receiving input from various countries regarding mentoring patterns, in line with the changing paradigm of sentencing which is now shifting from an imprisonment approach to mentoring, rehabilitation, and social work, as also reflected in the updates to the Criminal Code and Code of Criminal Procedure. For information, this congress is attended by more than 400 participants from 44 countries consisting of practitioners, academics, and stakeholders in the correctional field. Over the four days of the event, participants will follow various agendas, from plenary sessions and thematic discussions to the exchange of best practices. This forum is expected to strengthen international collaboration while encouraging the realisation of a more inclusive, adaptive justice system oriented towards rehabilitation in various countries.