Ombudsman Report Prompts House to Review Prison Management Nationwide

RRI.CO.ID, Jakarta - House of Representatives (DPR) Commission XIII is pushing for an audit of correctional institution management following the discovery of a "luxury cluster" at Cibinong Penitentiary.

The commission believes the Indonesian Ombudsman's findings could serve as an entry point for improving prison management across the country.

"The Ombudsman's findings serve as an entry point for prison management throughout Indonesia. These findings are more than just a document because the Ombudsman has visually demonstrated the conditions at Cibinong Penitentiary," Commission XIII lawmaker Yanuar Arif Wibowo said during an interview with RRI Pro3 on Monday.

Yanuar said the commission needed to further examine the findings to ensure correctional institutions are managed transparently and accountably. He also questioned the disappearance of several facilities when Immigration and Corrections Minister officials visited Cibinong Penitentiary following the Ombudsman's inspection.

Yanuar also highlighted the possibility that inmates were paying to obtain better facilities than other inmates. According to him, both officers and inmates proven to be involved should face sanctions.

"If officers are proven to have accepted bribes, action must be taken against them. Inmates found to have offered bribes can also be subject to correctional sanctions," he said.

Yanuar said the sanctions could include revoking remissions or transferring inmates to another penitentiary. He added that such measures are needed to ensure a fair correctional process.

He also called for the rotation of prison officers, arguing that prolonged interaction with inmates could create vulnerabilities.

"The longer officers serve at one penitentiary, the more fluid and intimate their interactions with inmates become. There must be rotation to prevent unprofessional relationships between officers and inmates," he said.

Yanuar also encouraged the use of CCTV and digital applications to build a modern prison management system. He said technology could help monitor prohibited items entering correctional facilities.

"Personnel placement must be based on assessments, not only for inmates but also for internal officers. Internal assessments are important for improving the officer placement system," he said.

Yanuar said the DPR has established a Corrections Working Committee (Panja) to further examine security and safety systems in correctional institutions. The committee was formed following the escape of seven inmates convicted in a narcotics case.

The DPR will also examine prison wardens' and other officials' use of official residences, based on the Ombudsman's findings.

Responding to the Ombudsman's findings, criminal law expert Hibnu Nugroho of Jenderal Soedirman University said the case could have criminal implications. He said authorities could investigate allegations of bribery, gratuities, and the destruction of evidence based on available evidence.

"If the place, time, and evidence are clear, the evidentiary process will be easier, including through electronic evidence such as CCTV recordings. The destruction of evidence could constitute obstruction of justice if the criminal elements are fulfilled," he said.

Hibnu said criminal prosecution should be accompanied by administrative sanctions to deter similar violations in the future. According to him, law enforcement should not only punish offenders but also prevent similar misconduct from recurring. (Misni Parjiati)