Corby and Indonesian Independence Day

Indonesian prisoners not on death row get to avail themselves of a generous remissions system that allows for up to six months to be sliced off your sentence twice a year. Unfortunately, last year Corby missed out on the remissions because she was caught in possession of a mobile phone. However, this year she has had no such infringements of the rules and is reportedly in line for a three-month remission.

In the grand scheme of things a three-month remission on a 20-year sentence does not seem much. However, over the years these remissions add up. If one needs any proof just ask Tommy Soeharto who managed to serve just over half of his 15-year sentence for organizing the murder of a Supreme Court judge. It is interesting that Corby gets 20 years for smuggling some weed and Tommy only gets 15 years for the premeditated killing of a man. This is another post topic I guess.

The three-month remission remains a recommendation at this stage. Generally, though one remission recommendations are made it is just a matter of going through the motions to formalize them. There is nothing to suggest that Corby will be denied the recommended remission.

Corby has seemed to be struggling of late on both the emotional and physical fronts. I have written about this in other posts elsewhere in this blog. So, the idea of having three months shaved off your sentence should be good news for her and her family.

I imagine this is what life will be like for Corby for the next few years, rolling from one remission to the next.