Tangerang Prison Fire is an Evaluation of Overcrowding Detention Centers and Prisons

The Institute for Criminal Justice Reform (ICJR) regrets the fire incident in the Tangerang Class I prison which killed 41 inmates. The prison fire incident is considered not a new incident in Indonesia.

Based on the monitoring of ICJR, IJRS, and LeIP, during the last three years there were 13 prisons that experienced fires. He noted, from the 13 prisons that burned, there were 10 prisons that burned in overcrowding conditions or on the threshold of overcrowding.

“Meanwhile, Tangerang’s Class I overcrowding rate reached 245 percent and is currently inhabited by 2,069 people. Only three prisons that have had fires in the last three years have not experienced overcrowding,” said ICJR Executive Director, Erasmus Abraham Todo Napitupulu in a statement, Wednesday (8/9).

He conveyed that the condition of prisons that experienced overcrowding would have an impact on the low fulfillment of the rights of Correctional Inmates (WBP) and prisoners. Especially in terms of facilities, the inmates will not get proper facilities such as proper housing, adequate cell rooms, clean sanitation, and medical care.

This is evidenced by the many riots in detention centers and prisons that led to the burning of prisons and detention centers, in our records, there are 5 (five) detention centers and prisons that were burned due to riots by residents. One of them was the fire in Manado Class IIA Prison in April 2020 caused by riots.

Regarding the Tangerang Class I prison incident, it is suspected that it was caused by bad electrical installations, because the prison was built in 1971.