Why Indonesia is isolating its most dangerous prisoners on a remote island
Indonesia is planning to build a high-security prison on a remote island as part of efforts to improve safety and control within its correctional system.
Immigration and Corrections Minister Agus Andrianto said the proposed facility would follow international standards for a supermaximum prison and would isolate the country’s most dangerous inmates.
Speaking during a visit to a prison in North Sumatra, the minister said President Prabowo Subianto had given direct instructions for the project.
“The preparations are underway,” he told reporters after touring the Medan Class I Prison.
The move comes as the government steps up efforts to tighten security and reduce the influence of powerful inmates inside existing prisons. Officials say the new facility will make it harder for prisoners to run criminal operations while in custody.
The country has already transferred close to 1,000 high-risk prisoners to Nusakambangan, a high-security prison complex on the southern coast of Java.
Minister Andrianto said that kind of transfer helps protect other inmates and limit the spread of drugs and gang activity.
“This is about safeguarding the integrity of our correctional system, which upholds a noble purpose,” he said.
The remote prison plan is being described as part of a broader shift towards stricter control measures and modern rehabilitation, although full details on its location and timeline have not been made public.
During his visit, the minister also sat down for a meal with inmates and spoke to them about rehabilitation and equality.
“In the eyes of God, we are all equals,” he said. “The only difference is that you are undergoing a period of reflection within this facility to become better.”
This story is written and edited by the Global South World team, you can contact us here.
