[OPINION] Unpacking the Tangerang Overcrowding Situation from a Human Rights Perspective

Introduction

The decision to limit an individual\’s freedom as a response to criminal behavior necessitates a careful balance between prioritizing public safety and recognising the fundamental rights associated with personal dignity inherent in every human being.¹ Prisons and correctional facilities in some countries are characterized by underfunding, understaffing and extreme overcrowding, which often lead to inhuman and deficient living arrangements.² Prisoners are usually a voiceless and forgotten group on the margins of society, often coming from minority groups, struggling with mental illness, or contending with substance abuse.³ Considering the vulnerability of this group, it is crucial to analyze the environment inside prisons from a human rights perspective.

Arguably, the most prominent challenge confronting prison systems today is the issue of overcrowding, a significant factor leading to substandard prison conditions worldwide with potentially deadly consequences.⁴ Indonesia is facing an onerous challenge within its penal system, housing 276,000 prisoners and detainees in facilities originally designed for a maximum of 132,107 as of 2022, resulting in a harsh and sometimes life-threatening environment.⁵ In the previous year, 2021, this deadly environment materialized into a tragic reality when 49 prisoners lost their lives in a fire at the overcrowded Tangerang Prison, located not far away from the capital.⁶ This article will analyze the Tangerang Prison fire from a human rights perspective, addressing potential human rights violations and comparing the Tangerang prison’s conditions to international prison standards.

Background

At 01:45, September 8, 2021, the fire started and raged for just over an hour. The blaze erupted while most inmates were sleeping and affected Block C the worst.⁷ A police investigation determined it was the faulty installation of an electric cable which was designed to respond to short circuits, which it subsequently failed to do, that precipitated the outbreak of the fire. Moreover, the installation was made by an inmate lacking expertise in electrical matters.⁸ The rapid escalation of the fire meant that by the time the guards were alerted to the situation, it had already spread extensively. This resulted in insufficient time to unlock all cells, tragically leaving some inmates trapped in the inferno.⁹ Tangerang Prison, initially designed for a capacity of 600 inmates, accommodated over 2,000 individuals.¹⁰ Notably, Block C, the site of the fire, was intended for 38 inmates but held 122 people at the time of the incident.¹¹ The Institute for Criminal Justice Reform (ICJR) was critical of the overcrowded conditions at Tangerang Prison and claimed that overcrowding complicates the quick evacuation process during fire emergencies.¹²

Human Rights Standards Contradicting Prison Overcrowding

This section will dissect the case through the lens of international standards on prisoners’ rights, primarily focusing on the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) and the United Nations Standards Minimum Rules for the Treatment of Prisoners, commonly known as the Nelson Mandela Rules. This analysis aims to evaluate the extent to which international standards were upheld and whether overcrowding contributed significantly to violations of prisoners’ rights.

Article 7 (ICCPR)

“No one shall be subjected to torture or to cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment.”

Overcrowding is often at the root of many problems prisons face today, leading to conditions that are deficient enough to constitute cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment, making it a violation of Article 7 of the ICCPR.¹³ The 122 inmates that were residing in Block C which was designed for 38 inmates could have, due to the extreme overcrowding, contributed to decrepit crisis management and intensified the risk of harm. Furthermore, the loss of life was a direct consequence of negligence from prison officers in charge of electricity and the management’s inability to unlock the cells in time.¹⁴ The conditions in Tangerang Prison arguably meet the criteria for being deemed cruel, inhuman or degrading.

ICCPR distinguishes between torture and cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment by definition. Nevertheless, some scholars contend that the intentionally vague definition of torture allows states to conveniently evade responsibility. Despite the definitional distinction, torture and cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment share operational similarities and can result in comparable effects on the victim.¹⁵

Article 10 (ICCPR)

“All persons deprived of their liberty shall be treated with humanity and with respect for the inherent dignity of the human person.”

The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) references overcrowded cells as conditions amounting to degrading treatment which would violate Article 10 (1). Additional conditions outlined include inadequate hygiene, unsanitary conditions, and the potential for infectious diseases to spread, especially when authorities have not taken reasonable measures to prevent such outbreaks. These circumstances are often predictable consequences of overcrowding.¹⁶ Consequently, the overcrowded conditions in Tangerang Prison might be interpreted as violating Article 10.

The United Nations standards and norms in crime prevention and criminal justice provide guidance for reform that takes into consideration the variations in legal traditions, systems and structures across different countries. The standards and norms represent “best practices” that can be tailored by states to meet their national needs.¹⁷ The following are UN human rights instruments detailing the principles under which an individual under detention or imprisonment should be treated.¹⁸ The Standard Minimum Rules, or more commonly the Nelson Mandela Rules, are frequently considered by states as the principal reference for standards in detention and are employed by monitoring and inspection mechanisms to evaluate the treatment of prisoners.¹⁹ 

Rule 1

 “All prisoners shall be treated with the respect due to their inherent dignity and value as human beings. No prisoner shall be subjected to, and all prisoners shall be protected from, torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment, for which no circumstances whatsoever may be invoked as a justification. The safety and security of prisoners, staff, service providers and visitors shall be ensured at all times.”

Beyond the previously mentioned risk of violating the inherent dignity of the prisoner or subjecting them to cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment—a potential consequence of overcrowding—there is an additional concern. Overcrowding poses a major threat to the safety and security of both prisoners and staff, which would result in violating rule 1.²⁰

Furthermore, the Nelson Mandela Rules outline essential necessities for prisoners, including accommodation, lighting, ventilation, temperature control, clothing, bedding, food, drinking water, personal hygiene, access to outdoor spaces, physical exercise, and healthcare services. However, in instances of overcrowding, some or all of these necessities may not be upheld.²¹

Conclusion

The extremely overcrowded conditions at Tangerang Prison during the fire outbreak can be interpreted as a violation of both Article 7 and Article 10 of the ICCPR, violating the human rights of the inmates. Overcrowding is revealed as the underlying cause of numerous challenges encountered by prisons, posing risks not just to the health and safety of inmates, but also to the prison staff. The conditions in Tangerang Prison are demonstrated to transgress the United Nations standards and norms, indicating a failure to adhere to the principles outlined in human rights instruments and “best practices”. Negligence directly triggered the fire; nevertheless, the role of overcrowding in potentially hindering crisis management cannot be overlooked. In conclusion, the tragic incident at Tangerang Prison serves as an example that emphasizes the critical need to address prison overcrowding, not only in Indonesia but also globally, to prevent further human rights violations. [*]

Andreas Johansson

From Gothenburg, Sweden. Currently enrolled in the Master of Human Rights program at the University of Gothenburg, and Andreas is passionate about advancing human rights and social justice.

Reference:

1. Farias, K, (2013), “Above capacity: relieving overcrowded prison systems in Latin America with international drug control reform,” Suffolk transnational law review, 36 (2), page 367. ↩︎
2. Narag, R.E. and Lee, S, (2018), “Putting Out Fires: Understanding the Developmental Nature and Roles of Inmate Gangs in the Philippine Overcrowded Jails,” International journal of offender therapy and comparative criminology, 62 (11), page 3509–3535. ↩︎
3. Joshua, I.A. et al., (2014), “Human Rights and Nigerian Prisoners, Are Prisoners Not Humans?,” Medicine and law, 33 (4), page 11–20. ↩︎
4. Penal Reform International, Prison overcrowding, (2021). Available at: https://www.penalreform.org/issues/prison-conditions/key-facts/overcrowding/ (Accessed: 17 November 2023). ↩︎
5. U.S. Embassy & Consulates in Indonesia, 2022 country reports on Human Rights Practices: Indonesia. Available at: https://id.usembassy.gov/our-relationship/official-reports/2022-country-reports-on-human-rights-practices-indonesia/ (Accessed: 17 November 2023). ↩︎
6. BBC, Indonesia prison fire: Tangerang jail blaze kills 41 inmates, (2021), BBC News. Available at: https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-58483850 (Accessed: 17 November 2023). ↩︎
7. Ibid ↩︎
8. Muthiariny, D.E, (2021), Police: Fire in Tangerang prison caused by negligence, Tempo. Available at: https://en.tempo.co/read/1511790/police-fire-in-tangerang-prison-caused-by-negligence (Accessed: 17 November 2023). ↩︎
9. BBC, Indonesia prison fire: Tangerang jail blaze kills 41 inmates, (2021), BBC News. Available at: https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-58483850 (Accessed: 17 November 2023). ↩︎
10. Supriyono & Ihsan, A. Y, (2022), Criminal Liability in Prison Fire Cases: A Case Study of Class I Tangerang Prison Fire, IJCLS (Indonesian Journal of Criminal Law Studies), 7 (1), page 101-116. ↩︎
11. Strangio, S. (2021), “Indonesian fire shines grisly light on region’s prison overcrowding problem,” The Diplomat. Available at: https://thediplomat.com/2021/09/indonesian-fire-shines-grisly-light-on-regions-prison-overcrowding-problem/ (Accessed: 17 November 2023).  ↩︎
12. Santosa, B, (2021), “41 tangerang prison prisoners died during prison fire, ICJR: Overcrowding causes mitigation to be hampered during emergency“, VOI. Available at: https://voi.id/en/news/83184 (Accessed: 30 November 2023).  ↩︎
13. Human Rights Watch, Human rights abuses against prisoners. Available at: https://www.hrw.org/legacy/advocacy/prisons/abuses.htm (Accessed: 17 November 2023).  ↩︎
14. Supriyono & Ihsan, A. Y, (2022), Criminal Liability in Prison Fire Cases: A Case Study of Class I Tangerang Prison Fire, IJCLS (Indonesian Journal of Criminal Law Studies), 7 (1), 101-116  ↩︎
15. Perez-Sales, Pau, (2016), Psychological torture: definition, evaluation and measurement. London: Routledge. ↩︎
16. Human Rights Watch, Human rights abuses against prisoners. Available at: https://www.hrw.org/legacy/advocacy/prisons/abuses.htm (Accessed: 17 November 2023).  ↩︎
17. UNODC, Compendium of United Nations standards and norms in crime prevention and criminal justice, (2016), United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime. ↩︎
18. OHCHR, Body of principles for the protection of all persons under any form of. Available at: https://www.ohchr.org/en/instruments-mechanisms/instruments/body-principles-protection-all-persons-under-any-form-detention (Accessed: 17 November 2023). ↩︎
19. Penal Reform International, UN Nelson Mandela rules, (2020). Available at: https://www.penalreform.org/issues/prison-conditions/standard-minimum-rules/ (Accessed: 17 November 2023).  ↩︎
20. UNODC, (2013), Handbook on strategies to reduce overcrowding in prisons, Vienna: English, Publishing and Library Section, United Nations Office at Vienna. ↩︎
21. Barzano, Piera, (2018), “Humanitarian consequences of overcrowding and legal responses in times of armed conflict”, International Institute of Humanitarian Law. Available at:  https://iihl.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/BARZAN%C3%92-REV-1.pdf. (Accessed: 17 November 2023).  ↩︎

[OPINI] Di Balik Jeruji Besi: Sekilas tentang Kehidupan Penjara di Indonesia

Saya pernah terhibur dengan cerita tentang kehidupan di dalam sistem penjara di Indonesia. Kisah-kisah tentang sel yang penuh sesak, di mana hanya orang-orang yang memiliki cukup uang bisa mengakses fasilitas layak seperti tempat tidur. Kisah itu bagaikan sarana untuk menanamkan disiplin di benak anak-anak; memperingatkan mereka tentang bahaya yang dapat ditimbulkan oleh kehidupan kriminal. Jika ada, itu adalah cerita yang harus saya lihat dengan mata kepala sendiri.

Akhirnya, pada tanggal 26 Oktober 2023 lalu, saya mendapatkan akses ke tempat itu.

Sebagai orang asing berambut pirang, saya mempersiapkan diri untuk menghadapi teriakan-teriakan yang biasanya diteriakkan oleh anak-anak sekolah Indonesia ketika saya bertemu dengan mereka. Namun, kali ini bukan anak sekolah, melainkan narapidana yang dipenjara. 

Setelah melewati pemeriksaan keamanan standar, saya tiba dengan sedikit gugup karena mendapati apa yang tampak di depan saya seperti kelas sekolah yang duduk di lantai dengan rompi oranye yang dengan sabar menunggu kami. Yang membuat saya lega, mereka jelas lebih tertarik dengan proses hukum yang akan mereka jalani daripada seorang bule yang tidak menarik seperti saya.

Sebelum berkunjung, saya telah menantikan kesempatan untuk melihat sekilas kehidupan penjara di Indonesia, untuk menyelidiki kisah di balik bangunan penjara yang mengintimidasi dan menjadi saksi dunia paralel di dalamnya. Di sana, para narapidana menemukan diri mereka, secara harfiah, berada di balik jeruji besi, dikelilingi oleh menara pengawas yang mencekam dan tampilan suram kawat berduri. Membayangkan mereka terkurung di dalam tembok-tembok itu membuat saya merinding, dan hati saya terenyuh melihat mereka mengalami nasib seperti itu.

Sebagai seorang mahasiswa yang mengambil studi hak asasi manusia, saya berusaha sebaik mungkin untuk melihat kehidupan penjara di Indonesia melalui sudut pandang keilmuan saya itu. Karena hak asasi manusia dan dunia di balik tembok penjara sering kali berlawanan. 

Kepadatan narapidana di penjara yang berlebihan ini, menjadi bukti betapa mengerikannya pengabaian hak asasi manusia. Jauh melebihi kapasitas yang seharusnya, lembaga-lembaga ini tak berbeda seperti bom waktu yang terus berdetak.¹ Kebakaran yang melanda Lapas di Tangerang, di mana 49 tahanan terbakar hidup-hidup, hanyalah salah satu dari sekian banyaknya contoh yang meresahkan, yang menunjukkan bukti kegagalan sistemik dalam mengatur aparatur penegak hukum beserta hukum pidananya.²

Setelah menjadi perwakilan dari serikat pekerja dalam sistem pidana Swedia selama empat tahun, mata saya cukup terlatih untuk melihat kekurangan keselamatan di tempat kerja. Mungkin kekurangan keamanan yang paling menonjol di penjara Indonesia adalah perbedaan yang signifikan, antara jumlah staf dan jumlah narapidana yang cukup besar. Ini adalah persamaan yang mengganggu, di mana risiko narapidana mengalahkan atau menyebabkan kerusakan pada staf penjara yang kalah jumlah. Lebih dari 100 narapidana yang nekat melarikan diri setelah kerusuhan penjara di Aceh dapat menjadi pengingat tentang bahaya yang ditimbulkan akibat kepadatan narapidana.³

Akibat undang-undang narkotika yang mengedepankan penghukuman, itu membuat penjara-penjara di Indonesia dipenuhi para pelanggar narkotika.⁴ Saya bertanya-tanya, apakah para pembuat undang-undang percaya bahwa tindakan keras seperti itu benar-benar memberikan hasil yang diinginkan, ketika sudah jelas bahwa berbagai penjara tersebut berada dalam kondisi yang memprihatinkan? Mungkinkah pendekatan alternatif, yang berakar pada rehabilitasi dan reintegrasi, tidak dapat menjadi solusi yang lebih meyakinkan untuk tantangan ini, baik secara ekonomi maupun moral?

Ini adalah pertanyaan yang cukup menggelisahkan dan membutuhkan jawaban dalam aspek kekuasaan politik Indonesia. Sayangnya, kepercayaan saya terhadap lembaga politik Indonesia untuk menyelesaikan masalah ini sangat kecil, lantaran melihat betapa tidak terpengaruhnya mereka terhadap masalah ini. Reformasi narkotika nampaknya merupakan langkah yang sangat penting untuk meringankan masalah kepadatan yang tidak hanya melanda penjara-penjara di Indonesia, tetapi juga penjara-penjara di seluruh dunia.

Dalam pengamatan saya sendiri terhadap perjuangan penting ini, yang dalam banyak hal dipimpin oleh masyarakat sipil Indonesia, saya benar-benar terkesan dengan orang-orang yang memerangi masalah ini. Perjuangan ini, meskipun ditandai dengan kesenjangan dan tantangan yang menakutkan, tampaknya sangat penting untuk melindungi hak asasi manusia para narapidana. Jangan sampai kita lupa, di balik tembok penjara, tidur di lantai, mereka tetaplah manusia yang berhak mendapatkan hak-haknya. [*]

Andreas Johansson

Berasal dari Gothenburg, Swedia. Saat ini sedang terdaftar di program Master Hak Asasi Manusia di Universitas Gothenburg, dan ia sangat tertarik untuk memajukan hak asasi manusia dan keadilan sosial.

Catatan Kaki:

1. Novian, R. et al., (2018), Strategies to Reduce Overcrowding in Indonesia: Causes, Impacts, and Solutions, Institute for Criminal Justice Reform (ICJR) [Preprint]. doi:https://icjr.or.id/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/Strategies-to-Reduce-Overcrowding-in-Indonesia.pdf. ↩︎
2. Llewellyn, A., (2021), Why are Indonesian prisons so dangerous?, Al Jazeera. Available at: https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2021/10/30/why-are-indonesian-prisons-so-dangerous (Accessed: 27 November 2023). ↩︎
3. Ibid ↩︎
4. Ibid ↩︎

[OPINION] Behind Bars: A Glimpse Into Indonesian Prison Life

I had been amused by tales of life within the Indonesian prison system before. The stories of overcrowded cells where only the people with enough money can buy themselves access to the beds appear almost as cautionary stories, designed to instil discipline in the minds of children, warning them of the dangers criminal life can bring. If anything, it was a story I needed to see with my own eyes.

At last, on the 26th of October, I gained access inside. 

As a blonde foreigner, I braced myself for the chanters of the kind most Indonesian school boys would holler when I encountered them. However, this time, it was not school boys, but rather imprisoned felons. After the standard security clearance, I arrived with a degree of nervousness to find what looked like a sedentary school class sitting on the floor with orange vests patiently waiting for us. To my relief, they were, obviously, much more interested in their upcoming legal process than an uninteresting bule like myself.

Before my visit, I had looked forward to the opportunity to get a glimpse into Indonesian prison life, to delve beneath the façade of the intimidating prison building that bears witness to a parallel world within. Here the inmates find themselves, quite literally, behind bars, surrounded by foreboding watchtowers and the grim visage of barbed wire. The thought of confinement within those walls sends a shiver down my spine, and my heart goes out to those who endure such a fate.

Being a human rights student, I did my best to evaluate Indonesian prison life through the lens of a human rights perspective, for human rights and the world behind prison walls are regrettably frequent adversaries. Indeed, the governing body for prisons in Indonesia is, appropriately, the Ministry Of Law and Human Rights.

My assessment, I must admit, has left me with a sombre impression.

Expectedly, it is the overcrowding of prisons that stands as a harrowing testament to the abject neglect of human rights. Swollen far beyond their intended capacity, these institutions are nothing short of ticking time bombs.¹ The fire that consumed Tangerang Prison, where 49 prisoners were burned alive, is only one of many recent disturbing examples of evidence of systemic failures within the Indonesian state apparatus, and its criminal code.²

Having been a trade union representative in the Swedish criminal system for four years, my eyes are trained to spot safety deficiencies in the workplace. Perhaps the most glaring safety deficiencies in Indonesian prisons is the stark disparity between the number of staff and the sizable inmate population. It is a disturbing equation, where the risk of inmates overpowering or causing harm to the outnumbered prison staff looms ominously overhead. The more than 100 prisoners who made their daring escape after a prison riot in Aceh is a reminder of the perils posed by overcrowding.³

Ensnared within its punitive drug legislation, Indonesia finds its prisons overflowing with non-violent drug offenders.⁴ I do wonder if the lawmakers believe such severe measures truly yield the desired results when it is obvious that the prisons are in a disastrous state. Could a more enlightened approach, rooted in rehabilitation and reintegration, not stand as a more convincing solution to this challenge, both economically and morally?

These are the rather unsettling quandaries that beg for answers in the shadowed corridors of Indonesian political power. Alas, my confidence in the Indonesian political establishment to solve this issue is meagre, seeing how unaffected by it they are. It seems that drug reform stands as an essential remedy to relieve the chronic overcrowding plaguing not only Indonesian prisons, but prisons all over the world. In my own observations on this vital struggle, in many ways led by Indonesian civil society, I am genuinely impressed by the people who combat this issue. This struggle, though marked by its disparities and daunting challenges, appears essential for the safeguarding of prisoners\’ human rights. Lest we forget, within those prison walls, sleeping on the floor, they remain humans deserving of their rights. [*]

Andreas Johansson

From Gothenburg, Sweden. Currently enrolled in the Master of Human Rights program at the University of Gothenburg, and Andreas is passionate about advancing human rights and social justice.

Footnote:

1. Novian, R. et al., (2018), Strategies to Reduce Overcrowding in Indonesia: Causes, Impacts, and Solutions, Institute for Criminal Justice Reform (ICJR) [Preprint]. doi:https://icjr.or.id/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/Strategies-to-Reduce-Overcrowding-in-Indonesia.pdf. ↩︎
2. Llewellyn, A., (2021), Why are Indonesian prisons so dangerous?, Al Jazeera. Available at: https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2021/10/30/why-are-indonesian-prisons-so-dangerous (Accessed: 27 November 2023). ↩︎
3. Ibid ↩︎
4. Ibid ↩︎