Thousands of Prisoners Receive Nyepi Remission, Granted to Those Who Are Active and Well-Behaved

JAKARTA – As many as 1,506 prisoners in Indonesia are receiving special remission in connection with the celebration of Nyepi Day, which falls on Wednesday (19/3/2026). This reduction in sentence length is granted to inmates who have met several requirements, not limited solely to religious background. The Director General of Corrections at the Ministry of Law and Human Rights (Kemenkumham), Brigadier General Mashudi, explained that the remission is given to prisoners who actively participate in rehabilitation programmes and show good behaviour while serving their sentences. Mashudi stated that active participation in rehabilitation programmes is an important factor because it is expected to equip prisoners with useful skills after release and return to society. Therefore, involvement in various rehabilitation activities within correctional institutions is one of the main considerations in granting remission. However, he emphasised that the remission that has been granted can be revoked if the prisoner commits violations during the remaining sentence period. Of the total 1,506 prisoners receiving remission, the majority are in Bali, while in Jakarta there are only about seven people. Mashudi added that most of the prisoners who received remission are cases related to narcotics.