Juvenile offender rehabilitation in separate island

Minister of Homeland Security and Technology Ali Ihusan on Sunday said, the government was working to set a separate island where a rehabilitation center for juvenile offenders will be established.

The minister made the remarks during Sunday's press conference, noting the state has begun works on amending the relevant law to reduce the criminal age of culpability to 12 years.

Minister Ihusan stressed the amendment does not seek to punish the juveniles, but rather to intercede possiblities of them being introduced to criminal environments.

Besides this, the legal amendment aims to enhance rehabilitation of minors and reintegrate them back to society as ideal productive citizens.

Ihusan stressed special programs will be organized and run at the rehabilitation center on a separate island, where formal and religious education, sports, and mental well-being programs will be held for the minors.

"This will enhance a productive environment for them that encourages these minors to become promising youths in future," the minister added.

He also claimed the island is dubbed "Hope Island" to accentuate the ideal of juvenile rehabilitation.

Once the minors living in the center turn 18, they will be enlisted to police or military directly. Ihusan said the reinstated minors will receive the opportunity to choose their preferred career paths following a performance evaluation after a specific duration of their tenure at police or military.