goodmorningpapua.com – The Indonesian Women Journalists Forum (FJPI) Papua Province visited the Papua Province Class III Women and Children Penitentiary (Lapas) located in Keerom Regency, Papua Province.
The visit of compassion conducted in the series of 16 Days of Anti Violence Against Women was carried out on Monday 12 December 2022.
The Chairperson of the FJPI Province of Papua, Cornelia Mudumi, explained that her visit to the Women’s and Children’s Prison was not just a formality. FJPI believes that inmates in prisons have abilities and creativity that are not inferior to other members of society.
“This visit is a visit of compassion from female journalist friends in Papua who continue to support the inmates to continue working with existing talents. Women must strengthen one another. We (we) can, are capable and strong,” said Coni, who works daily as a journalist at iNews Jayapura.
This includes children who are the fostered students in prisons, they still have to go to school and pursue their goals.
The Head of the Papua Penitentiary Division, Endang Lintang explained that the Women’s and Children’s Prison in Keerom had exceeded capacity. Currently, there are 64 inmates in the women’s prison, while in the children’s prison there are 20 people. Even though the capacity of women’s prisons is only 28 people.
“Meanwhile, prisons for children only number 20 people, but it is feared that there will be an additional number of assisted residents sent from other districts,” he explained.
He hopes that the government can add detention rooms for inmates in prisons for children or women.
Meanwhile, there is no doubt about the creativity of the inmates. The assisted residents are diligent in making handicrafts from noken to culinary arts, including sewing crafts.
“It’s just that marketing is still an obstacle and it is hoped that the role of the government, the private sector, including journalists, can encourage creativity so that it can be sold outside prisons and be of benefit to others,” he said.
Endang was grateful for FJPI’s visit to the prison, because of his high concern for the inmates.
On this occasion, FJPI Papua provided gifts, ATK and knitting yarn to the assisted residents.