Surabaya prison replaces disciplinary punishment with mandatory reading program

Surabaya Class I Correctional Facility has implemented a humane approach to handling disciplinary violations. Inmates who breach rules are required not only to serve disciplinary sanctions but also to read books and write essays summarising their contents as a form of reflection and self-learning. The ‘Literacy for Rehabilitation, Inmate Reading Movement’ programme, according to facility head Tristiantoro Adi Wibowo, is designed as an effective rehabilitation tool to foster positive thinking and personal development. The prison’s library offers educational materials on drug dangers, psychology, and self-improvement, with Adi Wibowo stating the aim is to help inmates understand drug impacts and cultivate healthier mindsets. The facility ensures the programme is operational and not merely ceremonial, with essay writing serving as the primary assessment. To maintain transparency, all processes and essay outcomes are documented in videos for public release, proving the programme’s real and measurable implementation. Inmate library visits have increased, alongside a growing reading culture, with the initiative targeting mental rehabilitation to prepare inmates for reintegration as better individuals. (H-4)