Mass Indonesian Prison Break: Prisoners have 1 week to visit families, says government

The devastated city of Palu after the earthquake and tsunami that struck on September 28, 2018. Photo: BNPB / @Sutopo_PN / Twitter
The devastated city of Palu after the earthquake and tsunami that struck on September 28, 2018. Photo: BNPB / @Sutopo_PN / Twitter

Following reports that some 1,200 Indonesian convicts were on the run from three different detention facilities in devastated Sulawesi after the region was rocked by a powerful earthquake and tsunami, the directorate general of corrections at the Ministry of Law and Human Rights (HAM) said that all of the prisoners had been given permission to leave detention for one week in order to see their families.

“After one week, if they have not returned, the task forces from the central office of Central Sulawesi will search for them,” said Director General of Corrections Sri Puguh Utami at his office today as quoted by Tempo.

Sri Puguh said the week-long period would be calculated starting from Saturday, one day after the devastating twin disasters hit the area and killed hundreds.

The corrections head said the prisoners were given their permission due to the dire emergency situation in Sulawesi.

It seems Sri Puguh’s latest statement was meant to minimize news reports about the 1,200 or so inmates that had broken out of the three jails in the wake of the disasters, but it is clear from her prior statements that the permission was given only after the breakouts occurred.

Describing one prison in tsunami-struck Palu city — built to hold just 120 people — Sri Puguh admitted that most of its 581 inmates had stormed past the guards and escaped to freedom through walls collapsed by the massive 7.5 magnitude shake.

“Things were initially fine…but not long after the quake, water erupted from under the prison yard causing prisoners to panic and then run onto the road,” Sri Puguh told AFP yesterday, adding that the water was not from the tsunami.

“I’m sure they escaped because they feared they would be affected by the earthquake. This is for sure a matter of life and death for the prisoners,” she added.

Inmates had fled from another overcapacity facility in Palu by breaking down its main door and another in Donggala, an area also hit by the disaster.

The Donggala jail was set on fire and all 343 inmates were now on the run, Sri Puguh said.

The arson was thought to have been sparked by angry detainees demanding to see their families.

“They panicked after learning that Donggala was badly hit by the earthquake,” Sri Puguh said.

“Prison officials did negotiate with prisoners about allowing them to go to check on their families. But some prisoners were apparently not patient enough and committed the arson.”

Some of the convicts were jailed for corruption and narcotics offences, she said.

Five people convicted of terror-related crimes had been moved from the prison just days before the disaster.

With additional reporting by AFP



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