For years we’ve been hearing Bali’s governor talk about the necessity of moving Bali’s infamous, overcrowded penitentiary, Kerobokan Prison.
Governor Made Mangku Pastika has been keen as ever to move the prison to Suwung, Denpasar, where the provincial government has a sizable chunk of land. Suwung also happens to be the site of a giant, smelly, toxic landfill.
Seeing as how we haven’t heard any updates of the controversial move since April, when Kerobokan Prison’s warden condemned the proposed facility move as a major human rights issue, it seemed like the idea had fallen by the wayside.
But now Pastika is talking about the move again and local reports even say that his proposal is under review.
Whether Suwung is a good, feasible, idea or not, Kerobokan Prison is seriously overrun and something needs to be done about the institution. The prison’s capacity is meant to be 300 inmates, but it usually houses at least 700 inmates instead. The “Hotel K” has been notorious for its role in Bali’s drug trade and it’s also been the site of major violent clashes between rival gangs.
“Kerobokan Prison is overloaded, Governor Pastika wishes to move it to the province’s property at Suwung Landfill. The location fits and the area is big,” head of Bali Province’s Legal Bureau, Wayan Sugiada told Tribun Bali on Tuesday.
Pastika has already lodged a proposal for the move with the Ministry of Justice, according to Sugiada.
Bali Province has 10 hectares of land and the location is conveniently close to Denpasar District Court, says Sugiada, adding that the Ministry of Justice and Human Rights is currently reviewing the proposal for Kerobokan’s facility to relocate to Suwung.
