Jakarta (ANTARA) – The Indonesian government is preparing rehabilitation and re-education centers to address overcapacity in correctional facilities across the country, Law Minister Supratman Andi Agtas stated on Monday.
The preparations were finalized during a cross-sector coordination meeting held in Jakarta.
Supratman stated that the meeting was a direct follow-up to President Prabowo Subianto’s directives regarding prison overcrowding, particularly concerning narcotics offenders.
“Today we held a meeting with seven ministries on how to manage inmates in correctional institutions that are over capacity. The President directed us to implement rehabilitation and re-education programs for narcotics users in our prisons,” Supratman told reporters.
Officials have been given one week to formulate a comprehensive policy framework establishing these rehabilitation and re-education facilities for drug abusers.
According to the minister, the facilities will specifically target narcotics abusers of productive age.
“Essentially, rehabilitation and re-education centers will be established for drug users, with quotas based on data provided by the Ministry of Immigration and Corrections. The primary focus will be individuals who remain in their productive years,” he explained.
Participating agencies agreed to form a working group tasked with detailing policy guidelines over the next seven days.
During the press conference, Supratman noted that the Health Ministry and the Ministry of Higher Education, Science, and Technology—supported by the National Narcotics Agency (BNN) and the National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN)—will draft the core curriculum for the re-education centers.
Data from the Ministry of Immigration and Corrections showed that as of April 30, 2026, Indonesia’s inmate population reached 271,602, comprising 215,044 convicted prisoners and 56,558 pre-trial detainees.
Correctional centers and prisons are operating at 85 percent over capacity, down from 100 percent in 2025. Narcotics offenders account for 146,376 inmates, representing 53 percent of the total prison population.
Translator: Laily, Kenzu
Editor: Aditya Eko Sigit Wicaksono
Copyright © ANTARA 2026