Indonesia to release 30,000 prisoners early amid virus concerns
Originally published by Stanley Widianto – Reuters on 30/03/2020
Summary
Indonesia has decided to release some prisoners early as they seek to avoid a possible surge in coronavirus cases. Adult prisoners will be eligible for parole if they have served two-thirds of their sentences, while children would be eligible if they have served half of their jail term. These guidelines will encompass around 30,000 individuals according to the government.This release of prisoners is important as official data shows that there are 270,386 prisoners across Indonesia, more than twice the official capacity of its jails. Many jail centers also lack proper sanitation, making inmates particularly vulnerable to the spread of diseases, so this is an extremely positive development.