“Since the resources are scarce here, they [inmates] need to pay for the resources like food, even for the mattresses…”
He says prisoners who can’t pay for these things and who don’t have family support need to work inside prison serving other prisoners.
Indonesian prisons suffer from corruption, overcrowding, poor operations and a lack of resources. Prison guards earn about $300 a month. They can also make money by letting prisoners have cell phones and other banned goods.
Mister Sudaryono says this illegal system can actually help bring calm to extremely crowded jails.
Today there are around 160,000 prisoners across the country. Indonesian jails struggle to provide housing and food. Prison officials are not able to offer rehabilitation services like education or counseling.
Mr. Sudaryono says there is only one guard for every 900 prisoners in the most crowded prisons.
“Overcrowding is not only unique to Indonesia or other developing countries. Actually countries like the U.S. and Australia also have problems with overcrowding, but the problem is in Indonesia, the rate is just so extraordinary. I mean we can have rates like 600-700 percent overcrowding in a number of prisons.”
This month more than 200 prisoners escaped after rioting in an overcrowded prison in Sumatra.
I’m Steve Ember, and you’re listening to As It Is from VOA Learning English.
最新
2013-11-25
2013-11-25
2013-11-25
2013-11-25
2013-11-25
2013-11-25