Prompt action urged to deal with corruption in prisons
Prompt action urged to deal with corruption in prisons
SEMARANG (JP): A member of the National Commission on Human
Rights is urging that action be taken to eliminate corruption
within prison walls.
Commission member Muladi said in Semarang over the weekend
that perpetuating or neglecting to eliminate these acts would
compromise the whole penal system.
"If discrepant acts such as those described by Permadi truly
occur, then the government has to investigate it immediately
because it embarrasses the legal field," Muladi said referring to
soothsayer Permadi who recently spent seven months in prison for
maligning Prophet Muhammad.
While in prison, Permadi witnessed that certain convicts could
choose a cell for a price of Rp 300,000 (US$132.70).
Permadi told journalists recently about one particular bribe
where a new motorcycle was promised by a criminal suspect if the
prosecution would ask the court to sentence him to the same time
in prison as he had already spent in jail awaiting trial. This
way he would not have to serve any further time in jail after
sentencing was passed.
Treatment
According to Muladi, such preferential treatment undermines
the penal system which stresses that all convicts are to be
treated equally.
He contends that when evidence of bribery is found, then both
sides, the briber and the bribed, must be tried.
He said any collusion by prison wardens with convicts will
seriously undermine attempts to rehabilitate prisoners.
"It is the prison which is the main player in mending the ways
of the convicts," Muladi added.
"The government, particularly the inspectorate general of
prison affairs, must quickly look into the matter. Otherwise the
good name of a prison will be tarnished," Muladi said while
pointing out the need for continued surveillance on the way
inmates are handled.
Meanwhile, legal expert Ridwan Widyadarma told The Jakarta
Post on another occasion over the weekend that action must be
taken against prison officials found to be involved in such
illicit business.
"This is a challenge to all of us, especially the members of
the House of Representatives."
Legislators have to share the responsibility and respond to
the challenge, he said.
Ridwan said that apart from systematic weaknesses, such
practices could also stem from the meager allowances being paid
to prison guards.
"A prison guard is only paid an additional Rp 1,500 (74 cents)
for working the evening overtime shift," he said.
"For this reason, merely disciplining them may not be enough.
The overall weaknesses must be rectified," he said.(har/mds)