Police Hope Revision Of Narcotics Law Will Take Effect In 2022

JAKARTA - The National Police stated that the process of revising the narcotics law is almost complete. The statement also answered the Minister of Law and Human Rights (Menkum HAM) Yassona Laoly who asked to revise the narcotics law as a way to overcome the problem of overcapacity in Correctional Institutions (Lapas).

"It is final, the meeting between ministerial level, heads of institutions. We were also invited, the National Police when Mr. Kadivkum and I represented Mr. Kapolri had been finalized and taken over by the Coordinating Minister and is now in the State Secretariat, maybe the President's signature will be brought later to the DPR," said Director of Drug Crimes Brigadier General Krisno Halomoan Siregar to reporters, Thursday, December 16.

Krisno hopes that the new law number 35 of 2009 on narcotics will be implemented in 2022.

Later, in the new law, there are at least six conditions for narcotics suspects to undergo rehabilitation.

First, tested positive for using narcotics based on the results of forensic laboratory examinations. Then, they are not involved in the narcotics illicit traffic network and are the last users.

Third, there is no evidence of narcotics or narcotics evidence that does not exceed the amount of use for one day. Furthermore, they are qualified as narcotics addicts, victims of narcotics abusers, or narcotics abusers based on the results of an integrated assessment.

The fifth condition is that they have never undergone rehabilitation or have undergone rehabilitation no more than twice, supported by a certificate issued by an authorized official or institution. Finally, there is a guarantee letter for the suspect to undergo rehabilitation through a legal process from his family or guardian.

"So my guess is that in 2022 we will have a new law," Krisno said.

Meanwhile, Yasonna had mentioned that public access to justice was carried out by revising the Narcotics Law which he considered no longer relevant to the current state of drug emergency in Indonesia.

This is because the criminalization of narcotics users as regulated by Law Number 35 of 2009 not only reduces the success of healing users, but also causes prisons and detention centers to experience overcrowding.

"In practice, all users are included as perpetrators, not prioritizing a recovery approach for addicts or carrying out rehabilitation. As a result, prisons and remand centers become overcrowded. More than 60 percent of the residents of prisons and remand centers in Indonesia are perpetrators of narcotics crimes," said Yasonna.

"In the revision of the Narcotics Law, the government wants to foster addicts so that they can live clean and healthy lives free from drug snares. Medical and social rehabilitation and healing must be a priority option," he continued.