Nabiila Azzahra, Jakarta – The government has once again reduced the number of inmates eligible for amnesty. From the initial list of 44,000 inmates, the number has significantly reduced to around 1,000 individuals.
The Director General of General Legal Administration of the Ministry of Law, Widodo, said the verification process on the inmates' backgrounds is still underway.
"From 44,000 to 19,000, and now it is around 1,000," he said during a hearing with the House Commission XIII on Wednesday, May 21, 2025.
The Ministry of Immigration and Corrections is responsible for the vetting process, which is based on court decisions on each inmate. The ministry, he said, is also working with police and prosecutors to conduct assessments with criminal experts.
Corruption-related inmates are not eligible for the pardon.
Before the number went down to around 1,000 prisoners, the government had previously vetted candidates from 44,000 to around 19,000 individuals.
The government announced the intention to grant amnesty for specific categories of inmates, including those jailed on drug-related charges, at the end of 2024.
On Friday, December 13, 2024, President Prabowo held a limited meeting to discuss the matter with several ministers and Attorney General Sanitiar Burhanuddin.
Initially, the government targeted to grant amnesty before the Eid al-Fitr holiday season, but by March 31, the verification process had not yet been completed.
The granting of amnesty to inmates is part of the government's effort to reduce overcapacity in various detention centers in Indonesia.
– Alfitria Nefi P and Hendrik Yaputra contributed to the writing of this article.