A number of Hindu prisoners in Indonesia are receiving prison sentence remissions in honor of the Balinese Hindu New Year, Nyepi, which fell on Tuesday.
It’s customary in Indonesia to take a bit off sentences during special holidays like Idul Fitri and Independence Day.
A total of 526 prisoners were granted remission in the form of sentence reductions this week for the Hindu holiday, while five got released, according to Tribun Bali.
“Nyepi 2017 remissions were much awaited by Hindu prisoners across Indonesia,” director general of correctional institutions at the Law and Human Rights Ministry, Wayan K. Dusak, said in a statement on Monday.
Prisoners were only granted remissions if certain eligibility requirements were fulfilled, like serving a sentence at least six months, no disciplinary violations during incarceration, and active participation in the prison or jail’s guidance program, says Dusak.
“Hopefully these prison remissions can inspire more introspection for inmates to realize their mistakes so they can change their behavior for the better.”
Of the Hindu prisoners granted remission, 376 were in Bali, 52 in Central Kalimantan, and 29 in South Sulawesi.
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