Scientology-Sponsored Criminon Shows Progress in the Indonesian War on Drugs

By C Barnett --
29 Mar 2016 --

Al Jazeera show says Scientology’s Criminon program is having a positive impact on Indonesian inmates.

Criminon, a secular drug rehabilitation program based on the studies carried out by L. Ron Hubbard, Founder of Scientology, is beginning to be a boon for many addicts stuck inside Indonesia’s largest prison.

Scientology-Sponsored Criminon Shows Progress in the Indonesian War on Drugs[/tweetthis]

According to reports from Al Jazeera in their show 101 East, the program seems to be having a growing positive impact on Indonesian prisoners, who are currently serving terms for drug abuse. The report states that Indonesia’s drug problem isn’t just limited to the streets anymore. It has even seeped into the prisons, where traffickers have managed to penetrate the system, with help from the prison guards themselves.

The Cipinang Prison is Indonesia’s largest prison. Just two years ago, the prison was home to its very own meth lab, which was later detected and dismantled.

But, there is also a force of goodness working within these prison walls – the Criminon Program. Criminon, which literally means “no crime,” is a non-profit organization that was started in 1972, in New Zealand. The organization runs programs that are exclusively focused on rehabilitating criminals through education, common sense programs and drug detoxification. The organization’s programs are currently executed across 35 countries including Indonesia.

The Criminon Program approaches drug and crime rehabilitation using the theories of L. Ron Hubbard, who found that true rehabilitation can be achieved by restoring the criminal’s personal pride. Hubbard believed that criminals could be treated by helping them determine the time or moment in which they lost their sense of personal pride. By fixing this aspect of their personality, Hubbard believed that criminals could be cured of their destructive habits.

According to one of the Cipinang Wardens, the use of this method results in significant behavioral changes among the prisoners. The prisoners tend to be happier, more cooperative and discipline-oriented. They also practice better hygiene and are more organized, when compared to prisoners who have not been treated with the Criminon Program.

The prison is home to around 3,000 prisoners, all of whom are forced to manage within the crowded environment. Cipinang was originally constructed with a housing capacity of 1,084. Often, the prisoners here do not even have the simple benefit of enjoying an adequate supply of clean water or access to a rehab space.

Nevertheless, the Criminon Program shines hope into the darkness and spreads a sense of positivity among the prisoners.

Indonesia began its downward spiral into the drug trade by originally functioning as a transit point. Today, it has grown into a major narcotics market. Ironically, the country is also known for having some of the strictest drug laws in the world, which includes capital punishment for the trafficking of drugs.

In fact, the Indonesian government still lobbies for harsher laws to combat the problem of drugs and claims that over 4 million Indonesians are engaged in drug abuse.