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Former inmate releases video of Salemba prison

Source
Jakarta Post - November 16, 2011

Jakarta – A former prisoner of Salemba penitentiary in Central Jakarta, Syarifudin S. Pane, on Tuesday released a video depicting special facilities for special inmates inside the prison at the time he served his sentence in 2008.

The video shows "Block K", a special block in the complex with several special rooms used to host high-profile inmates including former Indonesian Soccer Association (PSSI) chairman Nurdin Halid and former religious affairs minister Said Agil.

The block's rooms did not have bars, but wooden doors. The rooms are equipped with air-conditioning, refrigerators, water dispensers and TVs. The block also has a badminton court, gymnasium and karaoke facilities.

"Not everybody can enter this block," Syarifudin said as quoted by tribunnews.com. Each prisoner staying in the block could also hire a maid, he added.

These facilities could be obtained by paying Rp 30 million (US$3,330) and then Rp 1,250,000 per month for electricity, security and cleaning services, he said. The video also depicts prisoners freely using cellular phones and gambling.

Law and Human Rights Ministry detention director general Sihabuddin said he was unaware of the video but promised to check on the matter.

"I have only been in this post for two months, but I promise to follow up on this information," he said, adding that stories on special conjugal facilities for inmates were not a new thing.

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