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)