"The special remission is expected to motivate inmates to realize (their mistakes), as reflected in their improved behavior and optimism despite serving their jail sentence," the ministry's Director General of Correctional Services, Reynhard Silitonga, stated here on Wednesday.
The highest number of prisoners to receive remissions in 2021 are from North Sumatra, with 14,906 inmates, followed by 13,223 and 11,776 respectively from East Java and West Java.
The sentence cuts were given transparently through the correctional database system (SDP) and were free of illegal payments.
"The remissions this year saved Rp62.3 billion (US$4.39 million) of the budget for inmates’ meals, with each prisoner's meals costing Rp17 thousand (US$1.20) per day," he stated.
Remission is the reduction of the term of a prison sentence usually on account of good behavior or conduct.
The remissions vary from 15 days to two months. Convicts will immediately be released if their remission brings an end to their sentence.
According to the SDP, as of May 5, the number of inmates in Indonesia has reached 263,186 people, of which 210,647 are prisoners and 52,539 are detainees. Of that figure, 197,801 are Muslims.
Silitonga highlighted the government’s unwavering efforts to improve the correctional services amid the problem of overcapacity and the COVID-19 pandemic as well as to apply information technology for swifter and accurate services to avoid abuse of power, improve monitoring, and increase transparency and legal certainty.
"Do not worry, as the inmates' rights would be fulfilled as long as the requirements are met," he stated. Related news: World leaders must condemn Israel army's violence on Palestinians: MUI
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Translator: Muhammad Zulfikar, Sri Haryati
Editor: Fardah Assegaf
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