Going to prison, it turns out, does not always mean giving up comfort. As long as they have plenty of money, inmates can enjoy televisions, air conditioners, gym equipment, even spring mattresses. A prison sentence can feel like a stay at a guesthouse, complete with amenities that not everyone can afford in their own homes.
The discovery of the Ombudsman of the Republic of Indonesia of luxurious living quarters during an inspection at Cibinong Class IIA Penitentiary in Bogor Regency, West Java, should come as no surprise. Several years ago, similar facilities were exposed at Sukamiskin Prison in Bandung, as well as Pondok Bambu and Cipinang prisons in East Jakarta. Apparently, scandals involving special amenities behind bars occur more frequently than efforts to reform the correctional system.
The occupants are no ordinary inmates. They include politicians and corrupt officials, as well as drug kingpins with deep pockets. It is an open secret that inmates with money, positions, and connections to law enforcement officials and prison staff can secure special treatment. Here, punishment seems to come in economic classes.
Prisons in Indonesia operate according to their own logic. A place to serve a sentence can turn into a hotel for those able to pay for extra services. Want a hot shower? Just turn the tap. Want to watch Korean dramas or browse Instagram? Lie back on the mattress and turn on the television or an Internet-connected device. Living behind bars apparently does not prevent people from enjoying entertainment, as long as those bars do not restrict the contents of their wallets.
What happens when a surprise inspection takes place? No need to panic. Guards at the front gate, who are suspected of receiving bribes funded by inmates' corruption proceeds or drug businesses, can alert their network all the way to the back entrance. By the time inspectors arrive, the special facilities may already have disappeared from view. Suddenly, the prison looks like an ordinary prison again.
Given how often luxury facilities are discovered, it would not be surprising if an inmate eventually wrote a book titled 101 Ways to Live Comfortably in Prison. It would offer a guide to securing special treatment behind bars. The market is promising, too. The Directorate-General of Corrections puts Indonesia's prison population at 279,000 inmates.
Of course, not all inmates can afford such luxuries. But a book like that might be most sought after by officials, politicians, businesspeople, and drug kingpins worried about ending up behind bars because of their own misdeeds. With the right bribes and guidance, prison doors no longer look so frightening. Serving a sentence becomes a matter of setting aside the right budget.
The public may scoff at prisons that resemble villas. Yet whenever luxurious living quarters are exposed, meaningful improvements in management remain elusive. In the Cibinong prison case, for example, the disputed building was immediately demolished. Aris Marsudiyanto, Chief of the Agency for Development Control and Special Investigations, hastily described the facility as a staff residence, without further investigation.
Prisons should be places where inmates serve their sentences and reflect on their actions, not places where they can buy comfort. As long as the money of corruptors, drug kingpins, and case brokers can dictate treatment behind bars, prison will never deter those serving time.
– Read the complete story in Tempo English Magazine
Source: https://en.tempo.co/read/2121644/prison-scandals-keep-recurrin