Nurturing through Collaboration: A Second Chance for Everyone

Abstraksi

Crime is a term familiar in all corners of the world, particularly in a country vast in the number of population and gap in wages. The inequality of access towards education and decent wages has created a loop-hole of poverty to low education and thus crime. An individual has not chosen to be born in particular family, as such is acquired not picked. An individual has not chosen to drop out of school as if it was not due to circumstances. An individual will not commit a crime if it was not due to drastic situations. Some things happen not by will, but by force. Yes, devastating indeed and in no possible way acceptable. Yet, how can such individual be deemed unworthy for the rest of their lives? They have committed a crime and then completed their sentenced in prison and have obeyed and followed all order as their sanction. Sound like a cliché, everyone, you and I have all made mistakes and we all beg for second chances. What makes you, and I, and them different as an individual? For a country like Indonesia, where culture and traditions are still heavily embedded within the society with religion as their fundamental philosophy. Ex-offender faces long-term status and disadvantages. Bearing the cause of their crime are often due to circumstances they acquire and difficult to change, they then face further burden as ex-offenders. As Indonesia will be facing a mass of productive age in a decade to come. The need of an inclusive working environment is no longer a question. The question becomes, how we can accommodate and help marginalised people have access to the working environment? The topic of ex-offenders working has longed been overdue and hidden. These people deserve attention and equal access, at least an access to enter the working field. In a city called Yogyakarta, a group of students have begun a pilot project on how empowerment of offenders in prison can be further utilised to produce products sold to the market. This has become an intriguing case study as in Indonesia this can be the first business model (start-up) to act as a bridge between the market and ex-offenders. During their time in cells, governments has allocated limited findings towards empowering and giving them extra skills to learn during the time in prison. Due to limited fundings, the number of empowerment programs are limited and at most time not fully conducted. Thus freesoner.id is a new pilot project taking place in Yogyakarta collaborating with Lapas Wirogunan. The paper will further discuss the challenges and benefit the business model has been for the current offenders and ex-offenders. How has the model been effective towards reaching its targets; open more inclusive employment. The purpose of this is to push and make the government and people realise that marginals community deserve a second chance. Everyone deserves access and that such model can be further supported and developed to be adopted in more areas across the country. It is time to make change, and realise for the betterment of the society.