Powerful amidst peers

I think I've mentioned before that I've been working with the AusAID-funded HIV Cooperation Program for Indonesia (HCPI) on the response to HIV in the prison system in Java and Bali. One focus has been to support the 2005-2009 National Strategy on HIV in Prisons in Indonesia, which (among other elements) called for "Creating peer network as form of support and care for HIV positive among prisoners/detainee."

Dhayan, one of my colleagues in Spiritia (and an HIV-infected ex-prisoner), has been working with me on this. Together we have visited ten prisons, meeting with staff and prisoners, including many who know that they are HIV-infected. The aim has been to look into how peer support groups can be formed and developed in this environment, and to prepare a manual to assist in this process. In fact, we found that support groups had already been formed in around half of the prisons we visited. This helped us to validate our ideas, and provided useful input.

At one of the prisons, Banceuy Narcotics Prison in Bandung, we found the process was very well advanced. Partly this was due to the very strong support from the prison governor, Pak Ilham, who earlier got his 'baptism' in responding to HIV as governor of the Kerobokan prison in Bali. This prison was one of the first in Indonesia to identity HIV as a problem. Pak Ilham has now used this experience to nurture a really supportive and caring regime in Banceuy.

During our last visit to Banceuy, aimed at reviewing the draft manual, we noted that much of what was being achieved in responding to HIV in Indonesian prisons was not well appreciated, even in Indonesia, let alone among the international community. We suggested to Pak Ilham that he might encourage reporting by the media, particularly referring to the Jakarta Post, the foremost English-language daily in Indonesia.

Don't know if this was the cause, but a few days back, we were very pleased to see an article 'Penitentiary to establish peer group for inmates' in the Post. The name of the support group there is 'Banodis', standing for 'Banceuy No Discrimination', and members of the group do indeed report that discrimination is extremely rare in that prison.

I've noted before, that despite facing huge challenges, the Indonesian prison authorities are dedicated to developing cutting-edge solutions. Peer support is only one of these.

Babé