Sahat Simatupang, Medan – The Ministry of Immigration and Corrections is currently constructing 13 new correctional facilities to strengthen existing prisons. Minister Agus Andrianto said the government will build new prisons throughout Indonesia, including in Central Java and East Java provinces.
"These new prisons are constructed to address the overcapacity in several Indonesian prisons," Agus said in a visit to Medan Prison, North Sumatra, on Wednesday, June 25, 2025, adding that the construction is intended to make the facilities more appropriate for inmates.
One of the most prioritized constructions is one for the super maximum security prison in Nusakambangan. According to Agus, the development is being expedited as an effort to address the overcapacity issues in various prisons across the country.
Agus added that the drafting process of the prison construction is underway.
According to the former deputy chief of the Indonesian Police, the relocation of high-risk inmates to the super maximum security prison is intended to help the eradication of drug trafficking.
"As many as 100 high-risk inmates have been transferred to Nusakambangan Prison from North Sumatran facilities," he said.
Before his working visit to the Medan prison, Agus inaugurated the operation of 30 immigration autogates at Kualanamu International Airport, Medan. Twenty units were placed at international arrivals and 10 units at international departures.
With these autogates, manual checking for passports is no longer needed, cutting down the inspection process to merely 10-15 seconds per person. Despite the swift process, the minister ensured the security, as the autogates utilize advanced technology integrated with the blacklist system as well as Interpol. The autogates are also mandatory for foreigners with electronic passports and Indonesian e-Visas.