Protection and Fulfillment of Prisoners’ Rights at Class IIA Women’s Correctional Institution of Palembang: A Socialization of Law Number 1 of 2023 on Criminal Code in Relation to Prisoners’ Rights

Abstract

This community engagement project aims to promote legal awareness and strengthen the protection and fulfillment of prisoners’ rights within the Palembang Class IIA Women’s Correctional Institution through the socialization of Law Number 1 of 2023 concerning the Indonesian Criminal Code (KUHP). The initiative was designed to address the low level of legal literacy among inmates, particularly regarding their fundamental rights under the newly enacted Criminal Code, which emphasizes human dignity, restorative justice, and proportional punishment.The program adopted a participatory empirical method consisting of five stages: preliminary assessment, legal socialization, educational implementation, evaluation, and sustainability planning. Data were obtained through pre-tests, post-tests, interviews, and observation involving 50 female inmates as respondents. The pre-test revealed that only 32% of inmates understood their basic legal rights, while post-test results showed a significant increase to 86%, indicating a 54% improvement in legal comprehension. This enhancement was achieved through interactive legal education that combined lectures, case-based discussions, and role-playing simulations tailored to inmates’ educational levels. Qualitative results also demonstrated positive behavioral and attitudinal shifts, such as increased assertiveness in legal communication, active participation in institutional dialogue, and peer-to-peer legal information sharing. Moreover, factual institutional data indicated that prior to this program, only 15% of inmates had received structured legal counseling. The program thus filled a critical educational gap, aligning with the United Nations’ Nelson Mandela Rules and Sustainable Development Goals (SDG 4 & SDG 16), which emphasize education, justice, and institutional inclusivity. The study concludes that the socialization of Law No. 1 of 2023effectively strengthens prisoners’ understanding of their rights, enhances institutional human rights practices, and promotes the transition from a punitive to a rehabilitative correctional model. This approach serves as a replicable framework for legal empowerment across other correctional facilities in Indonesia.