Sorong Prison Destroys Hundreds Of Prisoners' Cellphones

Dozens of cellphones confiscated by Kapas Sorong from residents assisted by Sorong Prison, Tuesday (8/5/2023). BETWEEN ANTARA/Yuvensius Lasa Banafanu

SORONG - Class IIB Sorong Penitentiary (Lapas), Papua confiscated and burned dozens of cellphones belonging to prison inmates after conducting inspections as a form of commitment to realize zero halinar (mobile phones, illegal levies and narcotics).

The destruction of cellphones belonging to inmates was witnessed by the TNI, Polri, Attorney General's Office, Court and Customs in the yard of the Class IIB Sorong Prison.

The head of the Class IIB Sorong Correctional Institution (Kalapas), Gustaf Rumakewi, explained that the dozens of cellphones that were destroyed belonged to inmates who were put in blocks or rooms.

"This is all purely belonging to the inmates who have been secretly misused in Sorong Prison," explained Head of Sorong Prison, Gustaf, quoted by ANTARA, Tuesday, May 9.

The results of the inspection, said the Head of Sorong Headquarters, are the accumulation of the results of the 2020 inspection until 2023. The last action we carried out was in March 2023.

As for the goods destroyed, among them, dozens of Android cellphones / smartphones of various brands, chargers, earphones, roller cables and instanto terminals.

The destruction was carried out by destroying the items using a hammer and then burning them in a trash can.

Kalapas emphasized that the regulation in Permenkumham Number 6 of 2013 concerning rules and regulations in prisons, one of the points regulates the prohibition on the use of cellphones in prisons by inmates.

The use of cellphones in prisons by inmates including serious violations is certain. The confiscated cellphones are no longer returned to the family, but we will destroy them. In addition, it can also cancel the rights of the inmates to get their rights," he explained.

In addition to using cellphones, other points that are also prohibited from being carried out related to the Halinar Declaration are extortion/gravity activities and narcotics smuggling.

"The three points both include serious violations whose sanctions also apply to the inmates and prison officers themselves.