TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Reports of drugs being found in prisons are nothing new. The fact that some drug dealings escape the prison guard's 'watchful' eyes is also not news. We are also not too surprised that some prisons have been turned into places where ecstasy and shabu-shabu (crystal methamphetamine) are processed and produced. But what makes no sense is how the same person, Freddy Budiman, an inmate on death row, is the brains of this dastardly crime.

Freddy was sentenced to death on July 15, 2013, because 1.4 million ecstasy pills were found in his possession. He has submitted an appeal and was outright denied by the Supreme Court in September last year. It should also be noted that when he was tried for his latest crime, he was already serving a sentence for a separate drug case and serving time at Cipinang Prison.

So it's evident that far from repenting, even with the threat of execution over his head, Freddy continues to carry on with his narcotics business from prison through his minions and network. And he does it in the comfort of his cell. He is able to enjoy the company of female visitors by 'leasing' more pleasing rooms. But one of his girlfriends was unable to keep the secret of the luxurious room in prison. The report went public and Justice Minister Amir Syamsuddin immediately ordered Freddy to be transferred to the bleaker prison of Nusakambangan. At this juncture, Cipinang Prison authorities promise to tighten regulations.

But have prisons really improved? Early this month the police Crime Investigation Division revealed a network of CC4 drugs distribution inside Cipinang and Salemba prisons. At Cipinang, a police raid found 122 sheets of CC4, bong, 0.69 grams of shabu, 10 cellphones, one savings book and one weighing scale. They were all found in one cell, occupied by an inmate named Andre. Who is he? None other than a member of Freddy's networks and one of his minions.

CC4 is a relatively new item. This drug comes in the form of colored paper, like stamps. According to Police Adj. Comr. Christian Siagian, chief of the Narcotics Investigation Center (NIC), tests in the police laboratory show the CC4 is far stronger than ecstasy. "It's dose contains 10 times the strength of ecstasy," said Siagian.

There is no denying that this country has a very serious problem with drugs. But why can't our prisons be cleansed of that curse? The answer is easy. The officials are clearly involved in this crime. There have been reports of the wardens enjoying the drugs alongside their prisoners. So, we are not surprised that come nighttime, the prisoners are busy at work processing pills and wrapping shabu. What should be urgently investigated whether the business of dealing and distribution outside of prison is sourced from the prison.

At the cost of sounding like a broken record, the prisons need to be tightly monitored. Perhaps they should be as tight as the detention centers run by the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK). Visitors to their cells undergo intense and strict inspection. Use of cellphones by inmates is strictly forbidden. The drug business is able to thrive in prisons because of the inmates' freedom to use cellphones from their cells.

Prison guards must be strictly punished for 'indulging' the inmates. It's not just wardens but even prison directors should be suspect. So far, the penalty or punishment is a mere reposting of jobs, which has proven ineffective. They must be fired or held legally accountable. For dealers sentenced to death like Freddy Budiman, the brains of the drug network and drug factories inside prison, his sentence should just be immediately executed. That is, if the government is really serious about enforcing the death penalty as a way to punish drug dealers. (*)