Assimilation Extended, 27 Inmates Of The Riau Selatpanjang Prison May Return To Their Respective Homes

Prisoners stand in front of his cell at Class II B Prison in Slawi, Tegal Regency, Central Java, Thursday, February 18, 2021 (Oky Lukmansyah-Antara)

A total of 27 inmates or convicts of the Class II B Selatpanjang Penitentiary (Lapas) in Meranti Islands Regency have been returned to their respective homes.

Head of the Selatpanjang Prison Registration Subsection Agus Nitawan said the inmates were included in the home assimilation program extended by the Ministry of Law and Human Rights (Kemenkumham). According to him, recently 9 other inmates also received the same program.

"Yesterday there were nine people, so today 27 assisted residents were officially sent home so that the total number of people who received assimilation in the Selatpanjang Prison was no less than 36 people," Agus said in Selatpanjang, Meranti Islands, Riau Province, Wednesday, February 1, was confiscated by Antara.

The extension of the assimilation is contained in the Decree of the Minister of Law and Human Rights Number M.HH-186.PK.05.09 of 2022. Where the inmates who were repatriated earlier were declared to meet the requirements of substantive and administrative, as stated in the Minister of Law and Human Rights Regulation Number 43 of 2021 in the context of preventing and overcoming the spread of COVID-19 in prisons and detention centers.

"The conditions in question include being active in coaching activities, being of good behavior and not being registered in register F (recording disciplinary violations), having served one by two criminal periods, and two by three the criminal period falls before June 30, 2023," he explained.

Agus emphasized that the return of inmates to their homes had been carried out in accordance with the Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) by referring to the applicable laws and regulations.

"The dozens of inmates that we sent home have attended the Correctional Observer Team (TPP) session, where in the trial all TPP members agreed on the proposed assimilation of the house," he said.

However, the inmates who were sent home had not been declared purely free. They are still under strict monitoring from their side and must follow all the rules that have been set.

"They are required to report regularly to the correctional advisors who have been appointed previously," he explained.

In addition, he also appealed to inmates who received home assimilation to maintain good behavior in the community and not to repeat criminal acts.