Prisoners look from a tower during the 2012 riot at Kerobokan prison in Bali. Photo: AFP
Could Kerobokan Prison really be relocated to Nusa Penida?
Some parliament members seem to think so.
When a group of parliament members finished the infamous “Hotel K” on Tuesday, Commission III leader Samsyudin Aziz expressed concerns about Bali’s largest prison.
From the online prostitution ring that was allegedly being organized from inside prison walls to a riot several years ago, Kerobokan has had its fair share of scandals and bad press. Not to mention the recent mishap when the prison released the wrong inmate.
Aziz says he hopes the overcrowded prison can be moved to Nusa Penida, Klungkung, a smaller island to the east of Bali, next to the more popular travel destination island Nusa Lembongan.
Kerobokan is not the best location for such a major location since it’s located in the city center and close to much tourism activities, Aziz told Merdeka.
The prison in its current state is practically bursting at the seams, as the number of inmates totals around 989, whereas the capacity of the prison should be at 320 people, and of the 989, about 720 are locked up for narcotics cases, according to Merdeka.
Aziz hopes to meet with Bali’s governor to propose the move to Nusa Penida and get the ball rolling.
This isn’t the first we’ve heard of interest in relocating the prison elsewhere on the island. Governor Made Mangku Pastika previously proposed last March moving the prison to Suwung, South Denpasar near a giant landfill.
Photo: AFP
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