Detachment 88 Godok Collaborates with the Ministry of Home Affairs on the Deradicalization Program for Ex-Terrorist Convicts

Director of Identification and Socialization of Densus 88 Anti-terror Police Kombes Pol MD Shodiq said that his party is currently working on a Cooperation Agreement with the Ministry of Home Affairs regarding the deradicalization program for ex-terrorism convicts.

Shodiq said that after ex-terrorism convicts were freed and returned to society, de-radicalization activities were carried out in collaboration with Ministries and Institutions.

According to him, the role of Ministries and Institutions in this process is very important.

Thus, the former convicts of terrorism are still accompanied and not released in the community.

This was conveyed in a Public Discussion entitled Terrorism and Radicalism: Should Densus 88 be disbanded on the Suara SETARA Youtube channel on Friday (15/10/2021).

“Yes, now I’m on progress to make a PKS with the Ministry of Home Affairs to involve all stakeholders in the region. Like Kesbangpol, it must actively monitor its activities. We are currently making a cooperation agreement,” he said.

Shodiq said that although the cooperation agreement with the Ministry of Home Affairs is a new thing, it has actually been going on for a long time.

He said the cooperation agreement was needed as a legal umbrella for the implementation of these activities.

“But we have implemented it. It’s just a legal umbrella. Because friends in the regional government, especially in the area, need a legal umbrella to step down. That’s why we made it,” he said.

How to Melt the Heart of a Terrorist Suspect

On this occasion, Pol Kombes MD Shodiq also revealed the various ways and approaches that his party took to melt the hearts of suspects in terrorism criminal cases.

The goal is that the suspects in terrorism cases can return to society after being released.

The approach, called the heart and empathy approach, he said, was carried out since the interrogation stage for 14 days when their status was still suspected of being a terrorist.

This approach, he said, was then continued when their status was increased to become terrorist suspects.

As long as they are suspects, he said, Densus 88 will continue to monitor them during the investigation process.

Detachment 88, he said, also involved the suspect’s family in the process.

If a terrorist suspect is sick, he continued, Densus 88 will bring him together with his family.

“During this pandemic, we give video calls. If we need to get on a plane, we meet him, we get a receipt, we take him out, we meet him. Indeed, there are a few violations internally but it is for the sake of coaching and deradicalization, that’s what we should do,” he said.

In addition, he said, Densus 88 would also give the suspect a number of reading books.

The books given by Densus 88 will be adapted to the radical level of understanding of the suspects.

“Once the status of the P21 file for phase 2 was sent, the approach was also different. Psychologists were also assessed. Because he was in stage 2, his status as a defendant, he began to get acquainted with the environment. Seeing judges, seeing crowds of people, because this is an open trial. So he has started to see the world outside. It’s also a different intervention, “he said.

After that, he said, Densus 88 would provide semi-moderate books to slowly change the suspect’s understanding.

After the status of the suspect’s case was decided and inkracht so that he became a convict, he said, the approach used was also different.

Densus 88 will again conduct assessments through psychologists and continue to provide assistance.

After the verdict of the case has been inkracht, he said, the terror convicts will be transferred to the prison recommended by Densus 88.

When the convicts cooperate and return to the Unitary State of the Republic of Indonesia, he continued, they will be recommended to be transferred to a prison near their residence.

“When he arrived inkracht his understanding was still hard, we moved to Nusakambangan. With the hope, we will continue the assessment there. For what reason, there are facilities. There are medium, maximum, and super maximum. There are stages,” he said.

Not only that, he said, Densus 88 continued to monitor their progress until they were released.

Usually, he continued, the problems faced by former terror convicts would start to emerge starting from the economy, to socialization in society.

“That is one of our tasks. How to convince the public that these people have graduated, accept them as ordinary citizens, we will assess them. So we take an entrepreneurial approach,” said Shodiq.

After they were released and returned to the community, he said, deradicalization activities were carried out in collaboration with Ministries and Institutions.

According to him, the role of Ministries and Institutions in the process is very important so that ex-terror convicts are not released into the community, but continue to be accompanied.