Money opens most Jakarta prison doors for visitors
JAKARTA (JP): If one thinks that a prison is a barren compound with maximum security imposed at every access, that is totally wrong.
Maybe that statement is too strong. Some prisons could be tightly guarded, like the one on Nusakambangan Island, which is now the home of former president Soeharto's crony Muhamad "Bob" Hasan.
In Salemba Penitentiary in Central Jakarta, however, money is surely the key. Wardens can be asked to open the gate, without any luggage checks, for a certain amount of money. Here is what happened last week.
The big placard on the front entrance gate reads: 'Visiting hours are from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m..'
It was 4 p.m..
A parking attendant at the penitentiary, a man in his 60s, lightly asked, "Are you going to visit someone?"
"Yes, our relative. But visiting hours are over so we're going now."
He came closer and whispered, "It's okay. You can go inside and visit your relative. I'll tell the guard inside. But, you know..."
He just grinned without finishing his sentence as it was common facial expression indicating that "we can arrange it with your money".
He took us inside to the front office where another guard was waiting, and then left.
"Visiting someone?" the guard smiled. "You see, the visiting hours are over, but it's okay. Cigarette money, please," he said clearly, without hesitation and still smiling.
"How much?"
"Ceban (Rp 10,000/US$1)."
After receiving the money, he then took us outside the office and pointed to another room, explaining, "You go to that room and tell the guard inside who you are going to visit."
In the room, we told the guard there that we were going to meet Ismail Putra, a prisoner convicted of counterfeiting money. Outside the room, several visitors still chatted with inmates at their leisure.
"Ismail? He has been released... about a month ago," said the guard.
"The sentence was seven years, but his appeal to the Supreme Court was granted. You know, the case was said to involve military generals, so no wonder Ismail managed to avoid the punishment," he added, laughing.
The Supreme Court Vice Chief Justice Taufiq could not be reached on his mobile phone for comment.
Ismail Putra, a former member of the Army's Combat Intelligence Unit, was sentenced to seven years in jail on Sept. 21 last year for his role in producing Rp 19.2 billion (US$2.2 million) in counterfeit money.
In one of the court sessions he revealed the role of former Army Chief of Staff Gen. Tyasno Sudarto in the counterfeiting racket. The counterfeit money was said to be used to fund the (pro-Indonesian) East Timorese militias.
The general has publicly denied the allegation.
Meanwhile, the guard in first office visited was surprised to see us return so soon.
"Oh, Ismail. Yes, he has been released," he said, smiling.
In the front yard, the first guard was waiting for us, err, cigarette money.
Well, if visiting a convict is always that easy, no wonder wardens in Tangerang penitentiary found bombs being assembled inside.
Police foiled on Tuesday the plan of five prisoners to build a homemade bomb inside the Tangerang Prison and use it to aid their escape.
The explosive device, found hidden inside the prisoners' cell, was built using materials smuggled into the prison by one the prisoners' wives, who entered the prison unchecked.
Cipinang
In contrast to Salemba, the Cipinang Penitentiary in East Jakarta has tighter supervision and stricter regulations for visitors.
While Salemba opens every day, Cipinang only allows visitors between Monday and Friday from 9.30 a.m. to 2 p.m..
The tight control was reported to be instigated after an uprising in the penitentiary last month, during which one prisoner was killed and several buildings set ablaze.
Cipinang was closed immediately after the incident, reopening on March 27.
The guards tightened security by checking every visitor and their bags. Visitors must also mention the convict's full name, crime and cell block.
Guards here cannot be easily persuaded with money if the visitors are late.
"I'm sorry, but the visiting hours are over. Come back again on Monday," the guard said on Friday.
"I don't care if you came from other town or not. Other visitors will envy you if I let you in," he added.
A middle-aged woman who had just left the jail compound confirmed that security measures had doubled in the penitentiary, including the inspection of bags of dirty clothes and meals.
"I visited my husband almost everyday before the riot broke out here. Now I have to abide by the rules. We are all checked including the bags," she said, pointing at her two bags containing dirty clothes and food.
Should security only be tightened after riots break out or inmates escape? Or should it be more strict to prevent these acts from occurring?
When The Jakarta Post tried to contact the Ministry of Justice and Human Rights's director general of penitentiaries Adi Suyatno for comment, his on-duty staffer said, "Such things should not be reported to Bapak (Adi). Just write down what happened and fax it to me, I will handle it." (emf/hdn)