Indonesia expedites narcotics law revision to curb prison overcrowding

Jakarta (ANTARA) - Indonesia will expedite revisions to its drug laws to relieve severe prison overcrowding by shifting focus toward rehabilitation, a senior official said.

"Today, we took a systematic step," Coordinating Minister Yusril Ihza Mahendra said Friday following a cross-ministerial meeting.

"We concluded that we must immediately expedite amendments to the existing Narcotics and Psychotropics Law."

Mahendra stated that the proposed changes will clearly differentiate between drug users and dealers.

The move aligns with President Prabowo Subianto's directive that drug victims undergo rehabilitation rather than face criminal prosecution.

The Ministry of Law is currently preparing the official Problem Inventory List (DIM) after receiving proposed revisions from the National Law Development Agency (BPHN).

The document will be submitted to the Ministry of State Secretariat before formal parliamentary deliberations begin.

Over 50 percent of inmates across Indonesia's correctional system are serving time for drug-related offenses.

The revised legislation aims to streamline rehabilitation efforts—currently split among the Health Ministry, National Narcotics Agency (BNN), and other bodies—by establishing a centralized entity with dedicated funding.

"We hope to finish this by the end of the year so we can resolve this issue quickly," Mahendra said. "The sooner, the better."

Translator: Laily Rahmawaty, Raka Adji
Editor: Aditya Eko Sigit Wicaksono
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