Yusril Wants Narcotics Law To Be Revised: Dealers And Users Must Be Treated Differently

JAKARTA - Coordinating Minister for Law, Human Rights, Immigration, and Correction Yusril Ihza Mahendra revealed the government's plan to improve Law Number 35 of 2009 concerning Narcotics so that there is a clear distinction between dealers and users.

"This is also related to the plan to improve the Narcotics Law itself, which distinguishes between dealers and users, which in the future must be distinguished," said Yusril at the Presidential Palace Complex, Jakarta, Antara, Monday, October 20.

According to Yusril, the change in the rules is expected to ensure that not all narcotics users are sent to correctional institutions (prisons).

Thus, the policy will also have an impact on reducing the number of prisoners and improving the management of the correctional system in the future.

"In the future, of course, it must be distinguished, and not all users must be put in the LP. So it will reduce the number of prisoners," he said.

In addition, Yusril said that his party continues to take firm action against correctional facilities involved in drug trafficking, either through dismissal, demotion, or disciplinary guidance.

He added that more than a thousand prison officers have now been sent to Nusa Kambangan to undergo training and strengthening discipline as part of efforts to improve in the correctional environment.

"The less disciplined people are also more than a thousand people, now they are being taken to Nusa Kambangan to be educated, strengthen their discipline as correctional officers," said Yusril.

In mid-December last year, Yusril also emphasized the need to change the Narcotics Law so that narcotics users are no longer convicted, but are rehabilitated.

"We hope that there will be changes in the Narcotics Law," said Yusril at the time.

He considered that narcotics users were actually victims of crimes of illicit drug trafficking, not the main perpetrators. Therefore, the rehabilitation approach is considered more appropriate than imprisonment.

"When these users are rehabilitated, the number of inmates in prisons that are currently exceeding their capacity can be reduced," he said.

Yusril emphasized that the idea of changing the law needs to be echoed so that the Indonesian legal system is more just and oriented towards recovery, not merely punishment.