Jakarta. Indonesia is considering using uninhabited islands as rehabilitation centers for drug offenders, with the government exploring farming, fishing and livestock training as part of efforts to ease overcrowding in the country's prisons.

Coordinating Minister for Legal Affairs, Human Rights, Immigration and Corrections Yusril Ihza Mahendra said Friday that the proposal followed President Prabowo Subianto's instructions to address chronic overcrowding in correctional facilities, where more than half of inmates are serving sentences for drug-related offenses.

The plan was discussed at a ministerial coordination meeting in Jakarta on Oct. 9, attended by officials from law enforcement agencies, the military and human rights institutions.

“We are looking at uninhabited islands,” Yusril said, adding that the government could consider involving the Indonesian Military (TNI) and the National Police in the program.

Indonesia has numerous uninhabited islands, some spanning as much as 700 hectares, that could potentially accommodate rehabilitation and vocational training facilities, he said.

Under the proposal, inmates could receive training in agriculture, livestock farming and fishing, while military or police personnel could help instill discipline. The program would combine medical treatment with mental development, education and skills training.

Yusril stressed that the proposal remained under discussion and that the government had yet to finalize its rehabilitation model.

He also floated the possibility of raising crocodiles on the islands, arguing that their skins could be processed into high-value fashion products. The idea was presented as a potential economic activity rather than a finalized component of the rehabilitation plan.

Proposed Revisions to Drug Law
The government plans to incorporate proposals on military and police involvement in rehabilitation into revisions to Law No. 35/2009 on Narcotics, Yusril said.

The proposed amendments would also consider establishing a dedicated institution to oversee rehabilitation programs, with a clear legal mandate and budget allocation.

Yusril said the government could propose a new national narcotics rehabilitation agency, although its structure and responsibilities had yet to be determined.

The initiative comes as Indonesia grapples with prison overcrowding and the large number of inmates convicted of drug offenses. The government is exploring alternatives that combine rehabilitation and vocational development, though details of the island-based program, including its legal framework and implementation, remain unsettled.

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