Minister Says Prisoners Benefit from Food Security Programme, Investors Yet to See Returns

Minister of Immigration and Corrections Agus Andrianto has addressed the challenges of the food security programme within correctional facilities, noting that inmates are currently the main beneficiaries rather than investors. “Who benefits from the food security programme in prisons? If asked, the investors haven’t profited yet; those who benefit are the inmates who have gained experience from the training programmes and those working to prepare fisheries, for example building ponds, they also receive benefits,” Agus said during a speech at a Focus Group Discussion on Food Security at the Ministry of Immigration and Corrections.

He acknowledged that every policy has negative aspects, but stated that these are risks a leader must take if the programme is to succeed. “If we look at the negative side, it always exists. That is a form of divine justice—some agree, some disagree, some see positives, some negatives. This is a risk that any leader must take,” he explained. Agus reiterated his responsibility to take these risks, provided the programme continues to train inmates and contribute to the government’s broader goals of food and energy sovereignty.

In a related development, an inmate named Hamas (31) on Nusakambangan Island shared his experience of learning eel farming during his final seven months of rehabilitation. He described acquiring practical skills such as installing pond liners and piping systems, and receives a monthly premium of Rp450,000 along with meals, coffee, and cigarettes. Hamas is considering whether to apply for a job at the fish farm upon release or return to his hometown in Garut, West Java, to start a small-scale fish farming business using the knowledge he has gained.