Penitentiary supervisory board inaugurated

JAKARTA: Justice minister Yusril Ihza Mahendra installed on Thursday the 12 members of the Correctional Facilities Supervisory Board, which is to function as an advisory body to the minister on the operation of the country's penal institutions.

Among the members are law professors Loebby Loekman and Romli Atmasasmita, legislator Agun Gunanjar Sudarsa and criminologist Mustafa of the University of Indonesia.

Yusril said that the board was expected to provide input from the public regarding the ministry's correctional policies. There are currently some 82,000 inmates being held in correctional institutes across the country.

In a related development, the ministry's director general of penitentiaries, Adi Soejatno, said that the ministry would grant remission to most inmates in connection with the celebration of Independence Day on Aug. 17.

Yusril is set to formally announce the remission policy on Sunday in Bogor, west Java. -- JP