Luxury 'Apartments' Inside an Indonesian Prison
A surprise inspection by the Indonesian Ombudsman hit the walls of Cibinong Prison in Bogor, West Java, with a startling discovery: apartment‑like units just outside the main detention blocks, complete with kitchenettes, small living areas and even a private toilet. The loss of an entire block of ordinary cells to the construction of these rooms was reportedly the first evidence that the prisons in Indonesia are being turned into something resembling private housing for inmates.
According to the Ombudsman’s team, the units are ready for immediate occupation and are already home to a handful of prisoners. The facilities were built on former institutional grounds that used to house a bulk of prisoners; their location is so close to the main block that guards can monitor inmates from a short distance.
The BBC’s Liza Tambunan, who covered the inspection on air, explained the layout of the rooms: a small bedroom, a tiny washroom, a kitchenette and a minimalist living area that fitted into a 30‑square‑meter footprint. The cost of the renovations, she said, could be as high as $300 000 for a single unit, while the average cost of building a regular cell is only $5 000.
Why would a prison invest in luxury accommodations? Tambunan added that certain state officials and directors have personally benefited from the development of private prisons abroad, and the new units could be a way for Indonesian officials to pocket a share of the savings or earn speculative gains. The Ombudsman’s report will be filed with the House of Representatives for follow‑up investigations.
For now, the discovery adds another chapter to the growing list of welfare‑and‑corruption concerns at Indonesian correctional facilities, and it has sparked a public outcry across the nation.
