Leopold Sudaryono

Kiki, a registrations clerk at Cipinang Prison in Jakarta, glanced at his pile of paperwork with a degree of resignation. It was April 2009, and he was responding to three summons letters from the prosecutor’s office and the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) for 92 inmates to appear in court the next day.

After a series of reports emerged across the archipelago in recent weeks of children being arrested and prosecuted for petty crimes, Indonesians are raising questions about the state of juvenile justice in the country. The first was a confounding case that resonated around the globe: a 15-year-old boy from Central Sulawesi was incarcerated and tried last month…

Prison is where some of Indonesia’s worst problems are brought together in the same place, at the same time. These include chronic corruption, an imminent threat of gang violence, over-crowding, poor quality water and sanitation, and an absence of basic health and education services. With police and prosecutors under pressure to meet annual arrest and prosecution targets, Indonesia’s prison system is now clogged with many inmates…

The Indonesian courts, prosecutor’s office, police, and prisons are all working on their own reform programs. Yet, lack of coordination among them leads to missed opportunities and hinders improvements in the justice sector. Often, a lack of synchronized responses and oversight fuels corruption. There is an ongoing dispute between police and prosec… Read more