When Prisoners Assimilate One WhatsApp Group With Police And Judges

Prison illustration (Photo by Matthew Ansley on Unsplash)

MAMUJU - The way of monitoring each region of convicts who are assimilated is different. But what the West Sulawesi Office of the Ministry of Law and Human Rights has done is quite unique. At least for the prisoner himself.

Kemenkum HAM created a WhatsApp group. Members who are allowed to enter, from across agencies. Starting from the Ministry of Law and Human Rights, courts to the police. Including the prisoners.

There are about 173 prisoners who have received assimilation and integration here. Meanwhile, from the government, invited the Head of the Correctional Division, the Head of Lapas, community advisers (PK) / PK assistants, police and members of the prosecutor's office.

"Currently, the special WA group has 107 participants," said Head of Bapas Polewali Mandar Heri Kusbandono, Friday, May 8.

The formation of the WhatsApp group is of course so that the prisoners are aware that they are continuously being watched by the government. But on the one hand, this is done so that the prisoners realize that the government wants them to improve themselves and not break the law anymore.

"Of the 173 assimilated convicts, 23 have their status as integration (parole and leave before being released), while six people are already free, because they have finished serving their crimes," continued Heri Kusbandono.

So there are every Community Advisor (PK) and PK Assistant who specifically supervises 10-11 people. Like dating, PK and APK will routinely contact this prisoner. Starting from text via WA to video calls.

However, there were two assimilated prisoners who did not have a telephone, so they were directly visited by the PK / APK, "said Heri Kusbandono.

Assimilated Prisoners Back Up?

38,822 prisoners from all over Indonesia were assimilated. In a number of reports, there are prisoners who don't know how to be lucky. Keeping 'hobbies' is against the law. But Kemenkum HAM disagrees. Director General of Corrections Reynhard Silitonga said that the assimilated prisoners who returned to acting were only 0.2 percent of the total 38,882 prisoners. Besides

The ministry has repeatedly asked the public not to worry about assimilation policies. Moreover, correctional institutions (prisons) are places to foster criminals to behave better, not just places to give punishment.