December 29, 2025
JAKARTA – The government has granted special sentence reductions to 16,078 prisoners, including juvenile inmates, during the Christmas season, a move officials said would help reduce state spending.
The remissions are expected to save the state Rp 9.47 billion (US$610,000) in prison-related costs, according to the Immigration and Corrections Ministry.
Of those receiving sentence reductions, 174 inmates were released immediately, while 15,904 others had their sentences shortened. Among them were high-profile corruption convicts, including businessman Harvey Moeis and former communications and information minister Johnny G. Plate.
Harvey was sentenced in 2024 to 20 years in prison for facilitating illegal tin trading and mining operations within state-owned miner PT Timah’s concession areas between 2015 and 2022, a case prosecutors said caused state losses of around Rp 300 trillion.
Johnny, meanwhile, was handed a 15-year prison sentence in 2023 for his role in a corruption case involving the 4G base transceiver station (BTS) project at the former Communications and Information Ministry, which prosecutors said resulted in state losses of about Rp 8 trillion.
Both men received a one-month sentence reduction, the ministry said.
Immigration and Corrections Minister Agus Andrianto said on Thursday that the Christmas remissions reflected the state’s commitment to protecting the rights of Christian inmates.
“This is not merely a reduction in prison terms, but an expression of appreciation for good conduct, discipline and participation in rehabilitation programs,” Agus said, as quoted by Kompas.id.
“It is a correctional instrument aimed at encouraging better behavior, strengthening motivation and preparing inmates to return to society as constructive members.”
Sentence reductions tied to religious holidays are a long-standing practice in Indonesia and are typically granted to inmates who meet administrative and behavioral requirements.
Indonesia’s total prison and detention center population currently stands at 277,286, including inmates, detainees and juveniles, according to data from the Correctional Database System (SDP).