Money opens most Jakarta prison doors for visitors

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)