Abstract
The prison system of Indonesia faces complex legal issues related to the principles of criminal law. Given the abuse often found in prisons, there has recently been a radical idea to replace imprisonment with other forms of punishment, where possible. Article 10 of the Indonesian Penal Code lists the primary sanctions, which include imprisonment and additional sanctions. Imprisonment consists of two types, that is, life imprisonment and imprisonment for a fixed term. Article 12 of the Penal Code refers to life imprisonment but offers no further explanation about what it means. The Penal Code, like other Indonesian laws, spells out the offences for which life imprisonment can be imposed. Some scholars believe that life imprisonment in Indonesia means imprisonment for as long as the prisoner lives, that is, until their death. The Indonesian legal system recognizes the President’s prerogative right to grant clemency, which can also be granted to life-sentenced prisoners. Life imprisonment does not facilitate the reintegration of prisoners serving this sentence, but the community gets protection from crime during their detention. The law and practice in Indonesia should be reformed to create an opportunity for these prisoners to return to society as rehabilitated individuals.
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Notes
- 1.
Pancasila is the Indonesia state ideology (philosophy) which is believed to epitomize the way of life of Indonesian people. Pancasila have five principles, that is. belief in one God, just and civilized humanity, Indonesian Unity, democracy under the wise guidance of representative consultation, and social justice for all the people of Indonesia.
- 2.
The Clemency Law does not set any clear indicators that the President must consider in granting or refusing the requested clemency. The reasons cannot be accessed publicly, and are not transparent. However, the Clemency Law does not require the president to be transparent and accountable regarding his decision. Lamintang (1984, pp. 287–288) has mentioned that there at least two reasons of granting clemency, that is, reason of justice and humanity.
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Lisanawati, G. (2023). Life Imprisonment in Indonesia: Is Its Use Appropriate in the National Criminal Justice System?. In: van Zyl Smit, D., Appleton, C., Vucong, G. (eds) Life Imprisonment in Asia. Palgrave Advances in Criminology and Criminal Justice in Asia. Palgrave Macmillan, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-19-4664-6_7
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