Because Corona Virus, More Than 30.000 Prisoners Released and Crime Increases in Indonesia

SPEAKUP - The Indonesian Minister of Law and Human Rights, Yasonna H. Laoly, made Indonesian commotion with his decision to free more than 30 thousand prisoners. He reasoned that the decision was solely to break the Corona Virus chain in detention and the policy was a recommendation from the United Nations (UN).

Yasonna stated that the release of prisoners carried out through the assimilation and integration mechanism was not only carried out by the Indonesian government, but also by a number of other countries.

In the second episode of SpeakUp, we briefly discussed the release of prisoners with a lawyer. According to Speak Up informants, the release was not without cause and of course there are special conditions for prisoners to be released. The reason is to break the chain of transmission of the corna virus and reduce the population in the land which is said to have over capacity. And the conditions for prisoners to be released are those who have served more than half of their sentences.

However, after a few days the prisoners were released, widespread news about crime in Indonesia, such as robbery, hijacking, theft to fraud. And some of them claim to be former recidivists who have just been released or have been assimilated into detention. So is the release of prisoners on the pretext that this corona is appropriate? Isn't it too reckless to free criminals in the midst of this pandemic?

Quoting from okezone.com, Sociologist of Gajah Mada University (UGM), Sunyoto Usman, assessed that the impact of the release could vary. There are those who are moving in a positive direction, but there is also a possibility that there is a negative direction, such as an increase in crime in the middle of society.

According to him, prisoners of criminal cases that were released actually learned from prison in order to expand their criminal networks. So it can be said that while in prison, the prisoners might have learned to become professional criminals.

"They go to prison for free. They can expand criminal networks through prisons. What needs serious attention is the criminal networks formed in prisons, those who get out of prison use the network for criminal acts," he said in a news quote on okezone.com.

So, how do you feel about the release of prisoners?

Want to know the complete video interview, watch youtube video SpeakUp episode 30,000 Detainees Free.

Thanks.