View from the outside

By Col Hicks
The first time I went to Polresta, I thought it was a bit of a lark, I felt like I was a celebrity, I knew a criminal. I could be vicariously famous through him. What a joke! I was brought back to earth with a huge thump when I first visited Kerobokan.

When I was young my parents always expected me to end up in jail as did I but I realise now I was never ready. The reality of prison is totally different to the cinematic version we all see in the media, especially an Indonesian prison. It is poor, hot and often frightening.

As I went through the onerous ritual of registration, during which I felt like I was also beneath contempt from the guards, I reflected how difficult and bewildering this process would be for Westerners without the ability to speak Bahasa. I watched an older British couple try and negotiate their way through before telling them what they must do, having just completed it myself. They were very thankful and the woman seemed almost on the point of tears.

It was only after that I realised they were visiting the man accused of killing an Indonesian policeman, which may have explained the brusque nature of their treatment by the guards. I felt for them because they like me had committed no crime but seemed relegated to the status of criminal by the guards.

As I visited over the many weeks, I became more confident with the process, and more comfortable in my surroundings. I also benefited greatly because I became known to belong to Fox, and his regard amongst both prisoners and guards grew daily. Many times I was asked if he was my brother, and we even joked about swapping places with the guards, who thought it was hilarious.

Fox treated most with courtesy and kindness, hence why he was generally regarded as a good man and a model prisoner. Of course there was an obvious exception, Joe, but that’s to be expected. In fact I am amazed at Fox’s forbearance with his nemesis, I don’t think I could have done the same.

Every time I went, I watched my fellow visitors and speculated on the crimes which had landed their friend or family into this place, and most often I had no idea, they all seemed so ordinary to my eye, not like the hardened criminals I had expected. They just seemed like fathers, sons, husbands, not thieves, murderers, drug traffickers and the like. It’s amazing sometimes how far preconceptions are from the truth.

One of the most bizarre things I have experienced in my visits to Kerobokan is the ever changing security requirements, which seem to operate on the whim of whoever is on shift at the time.

They have installed a X-ray machine at the entry, including a metal detector like the airports, but the level of stringency varies from ” I don’t give a rats” to Gestapo fanatic. One time you can bring your motorcycle keys through, but the next, they are a potential weapon?!? Pretty weird for a country with more scooters than people!

The other bewildering thing is the whole dress code for visitors, sometimes my Evi has come with no problem wearing three quarter pants and the next time she is subjected to a verbal barrage for not complying with the stated dress code. The funny thing is that we have looked and looked for this code, without success, but it’s not worth arguing the point.

I assume that it is to stop prisoners becoming aroused by the sight of a shapely ankle?!? The ridiculous thing is that many, many of the girls who visit wearing full length jeans, have clothing that is so tight and revealing that a bare ankle is the least of the issue.

The body search is also very strange, it varies from a cursory pat down to a night with homosexual octopus, with the tackle getting a good old workout! Not for the faint hearted!

I’m not exactly sure what they are trying to achieve by all this, because if you really wanted to smuggle contraband in, you could still do so if you were prepared to have your junk squeezed. Who knows what is nuts or 10 grams of Ice anyway?

Not that it matters anyway, anything is available here for a price. Speaking of which, it’s amazing that you are charged for parking at the prison, when the only reason you are there is to visit a prisoner. Maybe a cursory reading of the Geneva convention is appropriate, but then, what the Hell am I talking about? This is Kerobokan!

Finally I propose we all celebrate St Fox’s Day on the 5th of May every year, in recognition of both his release and the amazing good he has been able to draw out of a terrible situation.

I am proud to call him my friend and can’t wait to have a quiet ale with him, but clearly not at OnOn Bar.