Bali Prison Proposes Remission for Corby

Denpasar (Antara Bali) - The head of Bali's Kerobokan state penitentiary has proposed a Christmas remission for Schapelle Leigh Corby (31), an Australian woman serving a 20-year jail term for a drug-related offense.

"We have proposed the remission for Corby to the director general of prisons at the Law and  Human Rights Ministry. However, until now, we have yet  to receive a reply," Kerobokan State Penitentiary Warden Siswanto said here on Thursday.

Siswanto said the Kerobokan prison management had actually proposed  remissions for a total of 38 inmates on the occasion of  Christmas Day this year. Of the number, the Bali provincial law and human rights office had approved remissions for 21 inmates while the remission proposals for the 17 other inmates, including Corby, had to be endorsed by the directorate general of prisons in Jakarta.

Since her incarceration,  Corby has already received two remissions on her prison term : the first one on the occasion of Christmas Day in 2008, and the second on Indonesia's Independence Day in  2009.

The Karobokan prison authority had also intended to let Corby have a remission on Christmas Day in 2007. However, higher  authorities rejected the proposal because she had been found keeping a cellular phone in violation of prison rules. 

Corby was arrested shortly after arrival at  Bali's Nurah airport on October 8, 2004, for trying to bring in 4.2 kg of marijuana on a surfing board. (*)