Thousands Of South Sumatran Drug Convicts Undergo Rehabilitation Program

Head of the Regional Office of the Ministry of Law and Human Rights of South Sumatra Harun Sulianto. (ANTARA/Yudi Abdullah/22)

PALEMBANG - The Regional Office of the Ministry of Law and Human Rights (Kemenkumham) South Sumatra is running a rehabilitation program for thousands of drug convicts in four prisons until July 2022.

"Four correctional institutions (prisons) that carry out rehabilitation programs for prisoners/prisoners (WBP), namely Class I Merah Mata Prison Palembang, Women's Prison Class II A Palembang, Class II Narcotics Prison A Muara Beliti, and Class II B Narcotics Prison. Banyuasin," said Head of the Regional Office of the South Sumatra Ministry of Law and Human Rights, Harun Sulianto, in Palembang, as reported by Antara, Tuesday, May 10.

He explained that the rehabilitation program was carried out because most of the inmates in prisons and state detention centers are involved in drug trafficking and abuse cases, so they need to be helped to get rid of their addiction to prohibited items.

Based on the data as of May 2022, the number of inmates in prisons and remand centers in South Sumatra has reached 15,974 inmates and detainees.

Of that number, more than 50 percent or 8,257 WBP and prisoners in prisons and remand centers are caught in drug cases, he said.

According to him, his party is committed to making prisons and detention centers free of drugs (shining).

To realize this commitment, his party together with the South Sumatra BNN team has carried out prevention, eradication, abuse, and illicit trafficking of narcotics (P4GN), said Kakanwil.

Meanwhile, previously the Head of Muara Beliti Narcotics Prison, Rudik Erminanto, explained that his party carried out rehabilitation for 240 prisoners who were convicted of narcotics crimes.

In this rehabilitation activity, a screening process was carried out by doctors, nurses, and correctional officers to identify and identify the type of substance used and the level of risk of narcotics abuse.

The next stage is the rehabilitation assessment stage as a basis before providing rehabilitation services.

The method used is 'community therapy', namely changing behavior in the context of community life with the principle of helping oneself and helping others to function optimally in society (self-help and mutual help).

Then the provision of national and state awareness, 'morning meeting', individual counseling, group therapy, rehabilitation seminars and health checks.

The social rehabilitation activity aims to restore a sense of self-esteem, self-confidence, and responsibility towards social functions in society after being released from prison, said Head of Rudik.