Penitentiaries need modern security systems: Yusril
JAKARTA (JP): Minister of Justice and Human Rights Yusril Ihza Mahendra blamed the prisons' poor security systems on Wednesday for rising numbers of inmates fleeing the penitentiaries.
"It happened ... we admit that two female inmates escaped last week," Yusril said, referring to a daring escape by three women inmates from Tangerang Prison last Friday.
"But if we compare with statistical data of previous years, I have to honestly tell you that the number of escaped inmates decreased to below 40 percent this year," he told reporters after attending a book launching, titled "Cross Examination", edited by noted lawyer O.C. Kaligis at Hotel Mulia Senayan.
The three female inmates identified as Maya, 40, Angle Deby, 30, and Ranni Andriani, 25 escaped from the Tangerang Women and Children Penitentiary by climbing the four-meter wall surrounding the prison.
Maya and Angle escaped, but Ranny, a convicted cocaine smuggler with a death sentence, was left behind after breaking her hip when she fell from the wall.
During questioning by prison officials, Ranny said Maya and Angle were serving eight years and 1.5 years imprisonment, respectively, for drug dealing and consumption.
Police detectives have been distributing pictures of Maya and Angle and keeping relatives' homes and past residences under surveillance.
Yusril said, as of today, nothing can be done to improve the prisons' security systems due to limited funds.
"If you visit the penitentiaries, you will find that they are in poor condition," he said.
He said that it was only this year that his ministry received a 30 percent budget increase.
"With the hike, there is little hope of fixing equipment and supporting facilities at the penitentiaries," he said.
He explained that there were a limited number of prison officials and a penitentiary has only four guns to secure the whole complex.
"We don't have money to buy more firearms," he said.
Yusril said it was the prison officials' mistake that allowed the two female prisoners to escape, but suggested that the prison's poor security system was also to blame.
The minister said that currently there are 400,000 inmates detained in prisons across the country.
In January of this year, 26 prisoners managed to escape from Gunung Sari Penitentiary in South Sulawesi by pushing over a wall under reconstruction.
In March, Tjong Yan Men escaped from Salemba Penitentiary officials during his visit to Graha Medika hospital in West Jakarta.
In June, 531 prisoners almost broke away from the Bulak Kapal Prison in Bekasi, while in November, four prisoners escaped from the Ciracas police subprecinct station in East Jakarta. (01)