Indonesia Prison Population Reaches 271,602 Amid Overcrowding

RRI.CO.ID, Jakarta – As of April 30, 2026, Indonesia's prisons and detention centers held 271,602 inmates, causing an 85 percent overcrowding rate. The government is preparing rehabilitation and re-education centers, particularly for narcotics users.

Minister of Law, Supratman Andi Agtas, said the move to address overcrowding follows President Prabowo Subianto's directives. The government will prioritize inmates who use narcotics and are of working age.

"Today, we held a meeting with seven relevant ministries regarding the situation of inmates in our correctional facilities, which are currently overcrowded," Minister Supratman said at the Pengayoman Building in Jakarta on Monday, October 5, 2026, as reported by Antara.

According to data from the Immigration and Corrections Ministry, of the 271,602 inmates, 215,044 are convicted prisoners, and 56,558 are detainees awaiting trial. A total of 146,376 individuals, approximately 53 percent, are narcotics offenders.

He stated that the government has one week to establish a policy for the centers. The government will form a team to draft the scheme.

"Rehabilitation and re-education centers will be established for narcotics users, with a primary focus on individuals of productive age," he said.

The coordination meeting involved the Ministry of Law, the Ministry of Immigration and Correctional, the Ministry of Agriculture, the Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries, the Ministry of Higher Education, Science, and Technology, the National Narcotics Agency (BNN), the National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN), and the National Counter-Terrorism Agency (BNPT).

Under this scheme, the Ministry of Immigration and Corrections will provide data and assessments regarding inmates. Meanwhile, the Ministry of Higher Education, Science, and Technology, in collaboration with BRIN, will develop rehabilitation and training curricula. The Ministry of Health, together with the BNN, will handle rehabilitation.

The government hopes that the establishment of these rehabilitation and re-education centers will help alleviate the burden on correctional facilities while providing more appropriate guidance for narcotics users. ***