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Parole Possible for Schapelle Corby After Sentence Cut

Indonesia President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono granted Schapelle Corby clemency this week by cutting five years off her 20 year sentence. What does it mean? The latest her sentence will now end is September, 2017.

Kerobokan Prison Chief Gusti Ngurah Wiratna confirmed at a press conference yesterday Schapelle is eligible for parole starting Monday, since she has served 2/3 of her sentence. But, she's unlikely to be granted parole immediately, and there are other issues. [More...]

Even if granted parole, she must spend the next five years in Indonesia. (one year past the expiration of her term)

The Sydney Morning Herald reports with her previously granted remissions of 25 months (Christmas bonus cuts, etc.) her time served goes up to 10 years, five months and 17 days, which is more than 2/3 of her now 15 year sentence, so she is eligible for parole. The prison chief agrees she's eligible. But, while parole applications for Indonesian-born prisoners can take only a few months, those for foreign prisoners take longer.

Parole also requires a showing of remorse:

Under a 2007 Indonesian regulation, Corby must admit "regret" for her crime of importing 4.1 kilograms of cannabis in a bodyboard bag in 2004, and ''positive moral development'' - usually synonymous with an admission of guilt.

Prison chief Wiratna also said Corby has to be religious.

Mr Wiratna has told the ABC that Corby would need to be actively religious and he has never seen her praying during his time as Kerobokan's governor.

The ultimate decision on parole will be made by the Minister for Law and Human Rights.

President Yudhoyono did not explain why he cut Schapelle's sentence other to say it was on humanitarian grounds. Some experts say it may have been part of a deal with Australia, and point out Australia recently cut the sentences of some Indonesian human smugglers.

The chief justice of Indonesia's Constitutional Court blasted Yudhoyono for cutting Schapelle's sentence, saying drug traffickers are worse than terrorists.

“Drug crime is worse than corruption and terrorism. Drugs destroy life,” he said, adding that the president should take national security into account in making these decisions.

Here's a picture of the prison cell Schapelle shares with four other women.

Schapelle was convicted of bringing 4 kilos of marijuana into Indonesia. (All of our coverage since 2005 is accessible here.) She has always maintained her innocence. Free her now.

Until she's freed, I'm not lifting my boycott on Bali.

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  • Display: Sort:
    When (5.00 / 2) (#2)
    by lentinel on Sat May 26, 2012 at 08:08:16 AM EST
    I read these kinds of stories, one of my reactions is that I would not want to even visit countries that exercise such draconian punishments.

    And, excuse me Mr. Chief justice of Indonesia's Constitutional Court, but it wasn't grass that blew up the Trade Center.

    We live in such a nutty world.
    People smoking pot like to talk, eat, watch TV, read, listen to music, socialize.
    People drinking can get violent, abusive and anti-social.

    So guess which of those two is illegal, and the other easily accessible and served at government functions.

    agree, and (5.00 / 2) (#3)
    by Jeralyn on Sat May 26, 2012 at 10:43:46 AM EST
    there are beautiful beaches all over the world. There's no reason to give your tourism dollars to a country that either kills drug offenders or imprisons them for decades.

    Parent
    I would love to see the skeletons... (5.00 / 1) (#4)
    by Dadler on Sat May 26, 2012 at 10:54:35 AM EST
    ...inside the Cheif Justice's closet. With his statement, he has announced loudly and clearly that he is a profoundly developmentally disabled person.  Did he make this statement while wearing a lobster bib to keep drool off his shirt?  I often think our Cheif Justice does, so...

    I have not been following this case (none / 0) (#1)
    by TeresaInPa on Sat May 26, 2012 at 03:10:46 AM EST
    are you saying that she didn't have this marijuana on her?

    As a matter fact, she says she didn't know (5.00 / 4) (#5)
    by Peter G on Sat May 26, 2012 at 07:06:54 PM EST
    that someone had stashed the dope in one of her bags. Given the court system in Indonesia, no one will ever know the actual truth.  Read TL's past coverage if you want to know more.  But more important, are you suggesting that a fifteen or twenty year sentence in a hell-hole prison could be appropriate for the "crime" of smuggling 4 kilograms of marijuana across an international border, even if the person was guilty?  If so, let me say plainly that I don't agree.

    Parent
    No (none / 0) (#7)
    by jbindc on Wed May 30, 2012 at 07:58:10 AM EST
    15-20 years in an Indonesian prison is not an appropriate sentence.  They should have just kicked her out of the country and not let her back in.

    But doesn't nearly everyone who's caught with drugs say "I didn't know they were in my bag" or "Those aren't mine and somebody put them there"?

    Parent

    She has to be religious?? (none / 0) (#8)
    by Chuck0 on Tue Aug 20, 2013 at 02:32:32 PM EST
    Any religion? Or their religion? Islam? Of course, I find the idea of forced religiosity completely repugnant. I'll stick to traveling to good old atheistic communist countries.