High criminal rate gives impact to the number of criminals languished in jail. As a result, prisons in the city become overcrowded.

Whether the prison to be built in Sukabumi or on a land belongs to PT Jakarta Tourisindo in Puncak (Bogor), it is still being studied. I’ll ask them to make the design

One of those overcrowded prisons is the Salemba Prison in Central Jakarta. The prison’s capacity is 5,000 people. Ironically, current criminals detained there are 15,000 people. From that amount, 65 percent of criminals are jailed over drugs possession.

Head of Jakarta Office for Law and Human Rights Ministry, Marzuki, admitted that Salemba Prison is no longer humane. Thus, he hopes for Jakarta Provincial Government to find solution by building new prison in the city.

“Sadly thing is that 1,460 detainees in Salemba Prison are children. Jakarta Provincial Government must participate in finding solution to this matter by getting land or other,” he disclosed during the commemoration of AIDS Day at Salemba Prison, Saturday (11/29).

Jakarta Governor Basuki ‘Ahok’ T Purnama, who attended the event, appreciates Marzuki’s request. He is also concerned with the poor condition of Salemba Prison.

“We want to build a prison where they (detainees) could feel they are being rehabilitated. Whether the prison to be built in Sukabumi or on a land belongs to PT Jakarta Tourisindo in Puncak (Bogor), it is still being studied. I’ll ask them to make the design,” he stated.

For this plan of new prison construction, Ahok hopes it would run smoothly.

“Hopefully the Legislative Council (DPRD) would agree it, so the construction could be started in 2016. We will also renovate the prisons in Jakarta since they are stood on Jakarta Provincial Government’s lands,” he uttered.

Meanwhile, from the AIDS Day commemoration, it is known that until this September there are 32,782 people living with HIV and 7,477 people living with AIDS. From those cases, 332 HIV cases and 121 AIDS cases were found in six prisons in Jakarta