REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, PEKANBARU -- A criminologist from Riau Islamic University, Syahrul Akmal Latif, said prison capacity problem is like a "time bomb". It was the cause that trigger hundreds of prisoners fled from Class IIB of detention center in Pekanbaru.
In an overloaded prison, Syahrul said frictions between inmates easily occured. It could end up with a riot.
"Overload condition whether at the detention center and prison in Riau was unbelievable," said Syahrul on Friday (May 5).
Some 200 prisoners fled from Class IIB detention center of known-well as Rutan Sialang Bungkuk. They escaped after conducting congregational Friday prayer.
Syahrul added that the majority of prisoners that run away were involved in conventional crime, especially related to drugs abuse and dealer. He said more than half of the prisoners in Riau involved to that cases.
"Riau Provincial Government have taken the efforts to develop special detention center for drugs cases, but there was no positive respond from the government. The prisoners of drugs cases are jailed together with the prisoners of other cases. This needs an evaluation," said him.