Reconstructing the Purpose of Sentencing: Rethinking the Effectiveness of Imprisonment in the Contemporary Legal System

Didik Purnomo(1email), Bagus Hendradi Kusuma(2)


(1) Faculty of Law, Universitas Negeri Semarang, Semarang, Indonesia orcid
(2) Faculty of Law, Universitas Negeri Semarang, Semarang, Indonesia orcid
email Corresponding Author
CrossMark

Abstract


Introduction: Indonesia's criminal justice system still places imprisonment as the primary sanction, although its effectiveness is increasingly questioned. The high occupancy rates in correctional facilities, the burden on the state budget, and weak social reintegration indicate a mismatch between the idealized goals of criminal punishment and the reality of practice. This situation calls for a reevaluation of the relevance of prison sentences within the framework of contemporary criminal law.

Purposes of the Research: This study aims to re-examine the effectiveness of prison sentences within the framework of Indonesian criminal law following the latest codification, by considering their suitability in relation to the objectives of modern sentencing. The focus is on formulating a prison sentence concept that is proportional, measurable, and oriented towards rehabilitation and social reintegration, making it relevant for the development of criminal law theory and national policy.

Methods of the Research: This research uses a normative legal method, focusing on a doctrinal study of statutory regulations, doctrines, and criminal law literature. The approaches used include legislative, conceptual, and comparative approaches to examine the effectiveness of imprisonment and its relevance within the framework of the 2023 Criminal Code, resulting in a systematic, measurable, and academic analysis.

Findings of the Research: This study highlights the opportunity to reorganize the orientation of criminal sanctions through the latest codification of criminal law. Imprisonment, no longer dominant, becomes a last resort for minor offenses. Normative analysis reveals the weaknesses of prison, encouraging alternative penalties. This study reconstructs the objectives of criminal sanctions, offering a concept that is more proportional, rehabilitative, and relevant to the needs of national law and policy.

Keywords


Imprisonment; Sentencing; Alternative Punishment


DOI


10.47268/tatohi.v5i10.3588

Published


2025-12-31

How To Cite


APA: Purnomo, D., & Kusuma, B.H. (2025). Reconstructing the Purpose of Sentencing: Rethinking the Effectiveness of Imprisonment in the Contemporary Legal System. TATOHI: Jurnal Ilmu Hukum, 5(10), 484-495. DOI: https://doi.org/10.47268/tatohi.v5i10.3588.
IEEE: D. Purnomo, and B.H. Kusuma, "Reconstructing the Purpose of Sentencing: Rethinking the Effectiveness of Imprisonment in the Contemporary Legal System", TATOHI J. Ilmu Huk., vol. 5, no. 10, pp. 484-495, Dec. 2025. Accessed on: Jan. 1, 2026. [Online]. Available DOI: https://doi.org/10.47268/tatohi.v5i10.3588
Harvard: Purnomo, D., and Kusuma, B.H., (2025). "Reconstructing the Purpose of Sentencing: Rethinking the Effectiveness of Imprisonment in the Contemporary Legal System". TATOHI: Jurnal Ilmu Hukum, Volume 5(10), pp. 484-495. [Online]. Available DOI: https://doi.org/10.47268/tatohi.v5i10.3588 (Accessed on: 1 January 2026)
Chicago: Purnomo, Didik, and Bagus Hendradi Kusuma. "Reconstructing the Purpose of Sentencing: Rethinking the Effectiveness of Imprisonment in the Contemporary Legal System." TATOHI: Jurnal Ilmu Hukum 5, no. 10 (December 31, 2025): 484-495. Accessed January 1, 2026. doi:10.47268/tatohi.v5i10.3588
Vancouver: Purnomo D, Kusuma BH. Reconstructing the Purpose of Sentencing: Rethinking the Effectiveness of Imprisonment in the Contemporary Legal System. TATOHI J. Ilmu Huk. [Internet]. 2025 Dec 31 [cited 2026 Jan 1];5(10):484-495. Available from: https://doi.org/10.47268/tatohi.v5i10.3588
MLA 8th: Purnomo, Didik, and Bagus Hendradi Kusuma. "Reconstructing the Purpose of Sentencing: Rethinking the Effectiveness of Imprisonment in the Contemporary Legal System." TATOHI: Jurnal Ilmu Hukum, vol. 5, no. 10, 31 Dec. 2025, pp. 484-495, doi:10.47268/tatohi.v5i10.3588. Accessed 1 Jan. 2026.
BibTeX:
@article{TATOHI3588,
		author = {Didik Purnomo and Bagus Kusuma},
		title = {Reconstructing the Purpose of Sentencing: Rethinking the Effectiveness of Imprisonment in the Contemporary Legal System},
		journal = {TATOHI: Jurnal Ilmu Hukum},
		volume = {5},
		number = {10},
		year = {2025},
		keywords = {Imprisonment; Sentencing; Alternative Punishment},
		abstract = {Introduction: Indonesia's criminal justice system still places imprisonment as the primary sanction, although its effectiveness is increasingly questioned. The high occupancy rates in correctional facilities, the burden on the state budget, and weak social reintegration indicate a mismatch between the idealized goals of criminal punishment and the reality of practice. This situation calls for a reevaluation of the relevance of prison sentences within the framework of contemporary criminal law.Purposes of the Research: This study aims to re-examine the effectiveness of prison sentences within the framework of Indonesian criminal law following the latest codification, by considering their suitability in relation to the objectives of modern sentencing. The focus is on formulating a prison sentence concept that is proportional, measurable, and oriented towards rehabilitation and social reintegration, making it relevant for the development of criminal law theory and national policy.Methods of the Research: This research uses a normative legal method, focusing on a doctrinal study of statutory regulations, doctrines, and criminal law literature. The approaches used include legislative, conceptual, and comparative approaches to examine the effectiveness of imprisonment and its relevance within the framework of the 2023 Criminal Code, resulting in a systematic, measurable, and academic analysis.Findings of the Research: This study highlights the opportunity to reorganize the orientation of criminal sanctions through the latest codification of criminal law. Imprisonment, no longer dominant, becomes a last resort for minor offenses. Normative analysis reveals the weaknesses of prison, encouraging alternative penalties. This study reconstructs the objectives of criminal sanctions, offering a concept that is more proportional, rehabilitative, and relevant to the needs of national law and policy.},
				issn = {2775-619X},		pages = {484--495}			doi = {10.47268/tatohi.v5i10.3588},
				url = {https://fhukum.unpatti.ac.id/jurnal/tatohi/article/view/3588}
		}
		
RefWorks:

   


Adi, Yanuar. “Kunjungi Lapas Brebes Hakim Wasmat Apresiasi Program Pembinaan.” https://www.rri.co.id/purwokerto/daerah/1456155/kunjungi-lapas-brebes-hakim-wasmat-apresiasi-program-pembinaan, April 2025.

Anderson, Frea, and Ronald Kramer. “Problematising the Will to Intervene: Discourses on Alternative Solutions to Prison.” Critical Criminology 33, no. 3 (September 2025): 533–48. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10612-025-09838-z.

Arafat, S. M. Yasir, Sujita Kumar Kar, Chittahari Abhayanayake, Pawan Sharma, and M. Marthoenis. “Prison Mental Health in South‐East Asia: A Narrative Review.” Brain and Behavior 14, no. 8 (August 2024). https://doi.org/10.1002/brb3.70004.

Bögelein, Nicole. “‘Money Rules’: Exploring Offenders’ Perceptions of the Fine as Punishment.” The British Journal of Criminology 58, no. 4 (June 2018): 805–23. https://doi.org/10.1093/bjc/azx044.

Ditjenpas. “Jumlah Penghuni Tahanan Dan Narapidana.” https://sdppublik.ditjenpas.go.id/analisa/jumlah-penghuni, 2025.

Englebrecht, Christine M. “The Struggle for ‘“Ownership of Conflict”’: An Exploration of Victim Participation and Voice in the Criminal Justice System.” Criminal Justice Review 36, no. 2 (June 2011): 129–51. https://doi.org/10.1177/0734016811399419.

Fajrin, Yaris Adhial, Ach Faisol Triwijaya, and Moh Aziz Ma’ruf. “Double Track System Bagi Pelaku Tindak Pidana Berlatar Belakang Homoseksualitas (Gagasan Dalam Pembaruan Hukum Pidana).” Negara Hukum: Membangun Hukum Untuk Keadilan Dan Kesejahteraan 11, no. 2 (December 2020): 167–90. https://doi.org/10.22212/jnh.v11i2.1608.

Galbraith, Jean, Latifa AlMarri, Lisha Bhati, Rheem Brooks, Zachary Green, Margo Hu, and Noor Irshaidat. “Poverty Penalties as Human Rights Problems.” American Journal of International Law 117, no. 3 (July 2023): 397–440. https://doi.org/10.1017/ajil.2023.25.

Hirschberger, Jeanne. “Imprisonment Is Expensive- Breaking down the Costs and Impacts Globally.” https://www.penalreform.org/blog/imprisonment-is-expensive-breaking-down-the-costs-and/, July 2020.

Imandeka, Ejo, Panca Oktavia Hadi Putra, Achmad Nizar Hidayanto, and Mufti Mahmud. “Exploring the World of Smart Prisons: Barriers, Trends, and Sustainable Solutions.” Edited by David C Mohr. Human Behavior and Emerging Technologies 2024, no. 1 (January 2024). https://doi.org/10.1155/2024/6158154.

Kania, Dede. “Pidana Penjara Dalam Pembaharuan Hukum Pidana Indonesia.” Yustisia Jurnal Hukum 3, no. 2 (August 2014). https://doi.org/10.20961/yustisia.v3i2.11088.

Latifah, Marfuatul, and Prianter Jaya Hairi. “Pengaturan Pedoman Pemidanaan KUHP Baru Dan Implikasinya Pada Putusan Hakim.” Negara Hukum: Membangun Hukum Untuk Keadilan Dan Kesejahteraan 15, no. 2 (March 2025). https://doi.org/10.22212/jnh.v15i2.4573.

Lippke, Richard L. “Retributive Parsimony.” Res Publica 15, no. 4 (November 2009): 377–95. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11158-009-9101-7.

Maculan, Elena, and Alicia Gil Gil. “The Rationale and Purposes of Criminal Law and Punishment in Transitional Contexts.” Oxford Journal of Legal Studies 40, no. 1 (March 2020): 132–57. https://doi.org/10.1093/ojls/gqz033.

Mamoh, Petrus Meirio. “Paradoks Pidana Denda Dan Kurungan Pengganti Dalam Tindak Pidana Korupsi.” Jurnal Riset Rumpun Ilmu Sosial, Politik Dan Humaniora 4, no. 3 (June 2025): 370–83. https://doi.org/10.55606/jurrish.v4i3.5820.

Mardiman, Vieta Imelda Cornelis, and Noenik Soekorini. “Pertimbangan Hakim Dalam Menentukan Korban Penyalahgunaan Narkotika Dalam Penjatuhan Pidana Atau Rehabilitasi Berdasarkan Undang-Undang Narkotika.” PACIVIC: Jurnal Pendidikan Pancasila Dan Kewarganegaraan 5, no. 1 (April 2025): 136–52. https://doi.org/10.36456/p.v5i1.10241.

Martin, Nik. “Menghasilkan Uang Dari Penjara.” DW.COM, 2025.

Marwan, Satria Manda Adi. “Eksistensi Pidana Penjara Seumur Hidup Di Indonesia Ditinjau Dalam Perspektif Tujuan Hukum Pidana Modern.” De Jure: Jurnal Hukum Dan Syar’iah 13, no. 1 (July 2021). https://doi.org/10.18860/j-fsh.v13i1.12025.

Marzuki, Peter Mahmud. Penelitian Hukum. Jakarta: Kencana Prenada Media Group, 2006.

Masyhar, Ali, Rohadhatul Aisy, Anis Widyawati, M. Azil Maskur, and Ali Murtadho. “Reclaiming the Unwritten: Living Law’s Prospects under Indonesia’s 2023 Penal Reform.” Jambe Law Journal 8, no. 1 (July 2025): 255–85. https://doi.org/10.22437/home.v8i1.502.

Miceli, Thomas J. The Paradox of Punishment. Cham: Springer International Publishing, 2019. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-31695-2.

Moore, Kelly, Jeffrey Stuewig, and June Tangney. “Jail Inmates’ Perceived and Anticipated Stigma: Implications for Post-Release Functioning.” Self and Identity 12, no. 5 (September 2013): 527–47. https://doi.org/10.1080/15298868.2012.702425.

Muladi, and Barda Nawawi Arief. Teori-Teori Dan Kebijakan Pidana. Bandung: Alumni, 2010.

Murdoko, Murdoko, and Mohammad Syifa Amin Widigdo. “Alternatif Penghukuman Selain Penjara: Analisis Hermeneutika Kritis Dan Critical Legal Studies.” Jurnal Hukum Ius Quia Iustum 30, no. 1 (January 2023): 91–113. https://doi.org/10.20885/iustum.vol30.iss1.art5.

Nagin, Daniel S., Francis T. Cullen, and Cheryl Lero Jonson. “Imprisonment and Reoffending.” Crime and Justice 38, no. 1 (January 2009): 115–200. https://doi.org/10.1086/599202.

Narulita, Ririn, Cahya Wulandari, and Rodiyah Rodiyah. “Implementation of the Idea of Criminal Individualization for Children Who Commit the Crime of Sexual Intercourse.” International Journal of Research and Innovation in Social Science VIII, no. XII (2025): 3461–64. https://doi.org/10.47772/IJRISS.2024.8120289.

Nugraha, Andri Setya, and Tanti Dian Ruhama. “Gagasan Dana Khusus Pemulihan Dalam Penegakan Hukum.” Bappenas Working Papers 6, no. 1 (March 2023): 79–97. https://doi.org/10.47266/bwp.v6i1.187.

Nugraha, Roby Satya, Edi Rohaedi, Nandang Kusnadi, and Abid Abid. “The Transformation of Indonesia’s Criminal Law System: Comprehensive Comparison between the Old and New Penal Codes.” Reformasi Hukum 29, no. 1 (April 2025): 1–21. https://doi.org/10.46257/jrh.v29i1.1169.

Petrich, Damon M., Travis C. Pratt, Cheryl Lero Jonson, and Francis T. Cullen. “Custodial Sanctions and Reoffending: A Meta-Analytic Review.” Crime and Justice 50, no. 1 (December 2021): 353–424. https://doi.org/10.1086/715100.

Pudjiastuti, Diah, Dey Ravena, and Chepi Ali Firman Zakaria. “Alternatives to Imprisonment as an Effort to Overcome Overcrowding in Correctional Institutions.” Jurnal Wawasan Yuridika 9, no. 1 (June 2025): 39–53. https://doi.org/10.25072/jwy.v9i1.4275.

Purnomo, Didik. “Contradiction and Legal Transformation in the Shift of the Correctional System from Retributive to Social Reintegration in Indonesia.” Yustisia Tirtayasa 5, no. 2 (2025): 138–65. https://doi.org/http://dx.doi.org/10.51825/yta.v5i2.32432.

———. “Indonesian Prison System: An Analysis of Constitutive Penology Amidst the Crisis of Overcapacity Based on Islamic Law.” Justitia Law Review 1, no. 1 (2025): 23–36.

———. “Justice Dilemma: Prison for Child Offenders or Recovery for Victims of Sexual Violence in Jepara?” Semarang State University Undergraduate Law and Society Review 5, no. 2 (2025): 940–68. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.15294/lsr.v5i2.28425.

Purnomo, Didik, Prija Djatmika, and Nurini Aprilianda. “Pidana Penjara Untuk Anak Pelaku Tindak Pidana Terorisme Dalam Perspektif Perlindungan Anak.” Jurnal Ilmiah Pendidikan Pancasila Dan Kewarganegaraan 7, no. 1 (March 2022): 8. https://doi.org/10.17977/um019v7i1p8-18.

Ramadhan, Choky. “Reformasi Penegakan Hukum Kekerasan Seksual .” https://law.ui.ac.id/choky-ramadhan-kompas-cetak-reformasi-penegakan-hukum-kekerasan-seksual/, July 2016.

Rivanie, Syarif Saddam, Syamsuddin Muchtar, Audyna Mayasari Muin, A.M. Djaelani Prasetya, and Ali Rizky. “Perkembangan Teori-Teori Tujuan Pemidanaan.” Halu Oleo Law Review 6, no. 2 (September 2022): 176–88. https://doi.org/10.33561/holrev.v6i2.4.

Strange, C. Clare, Joshua C. Cochran, John Wooldredge, and Joshua S. Long. “Jail Utilization and Court Sentencing: Does Jail Overcrowding Influence State Court Sentencing Decisions?” Justice Quarterly 41, no. 5 (July 2024): 672–98. https://doi.org/10.1080/07418825.2023.2290006.

Thamrin, Husni, and Mari’e Mahfudz Harahap. “Kebijakan Pelaksanaan Pidana Penjara Bagi Pelaku Pencurian Guna Memberikan Efek Jera (Studi Kasus Di Lembaga Pemasyarakatan Kelas 1 Medan).” Amnesti: Jurnal Hukum 7, no. 1 (February 2025): 128–48. https://doi.org/10.37729/amnesti.v7i1.6181.

Togat, Ujuh Juhana, Mufti Khakim, Said Noor Prasetyo, and Ratri Novita Erdianti. “Community Service Sentencing: Its Urgency in and Contribution to Future Criminal Law in Indonesia.” Journal of Law, Policy and Globalization 140 (March 2024). https://doi.org/10.7176/JLPG/140-01.

Ulfah, Maria. “Pidana Kerja Sosial, Tokyo Rules, Serta Tantangannya Di Masa Mendatang.” Jurnal Magister Hukum Udayana (Udayana Master Law Journal) 10, no. 3 (September 2021): 517. https://doi.org/10.24843/JMHU.2021.v10.i03.p07.

Walters, Glenn D. “Changes in Criminal Thinking and Identity in Novice and Experienced Inmates.” Criminal Justice and Behavior 30, no. 4 (August 2003): 399–421. https://doi.org/10.1177/0093854803253137.

Wermink, Hilde T., A. A. J. Blokland, J. Been, P. M. Schuyt, N. Tollenaar, and R. Apel. “Estimating Effects of Short-Term Imprisonment on Crime Using Random Judge Assignments.” Justice Quarterly 41, no. 3 (April 2024): 317–46. https://doi.org/10.1080/07418825.2023.2193618.

Widjajanto, Agus, I Gde Pantja Astawa, and Muhammad Rulyandi. “Decolonising Restorative Justice in Indonesia: A Comparative Study across Customary Law Traditions.” Legality : Jurnal Ilmiah Hukum 33, no. 2 (September 2025): 470–92. https://doi.org/10.22219/ljih.v33i2.40481.

Widodo, Widodo. Sistem Pemidanaan Dalam Cyber Crime: Alternatif Ancaman Pidana Kerja Sosial Dan Pidana Pengawasan Bagi Pelaku Cyber Crime. Yogyakarta: Laksbang Mediatama, 2009.

Yofarrel, Mohammad. “Kriminalisasi Berlebihan (Overcriminalization) Sebagai Faktor Struktural Overcrowding Lapas Dalam Sistem Peradilan Pidana.” UNES Law Review 8, no. 1 (September 2025): 151–62. https://doi.org/10.31933/unesrev.v8i1.2504.

Full Text: PDF

Article Metrics

Abstract View grafik : 0 times
PDF icon PDF Download : 0 times



 
Dublin Core PKP Metadata Items Metadata for this Document
 
1. Title Title of document Reconstructing the Purpose of Sentencing: Rethinking the Effectiveness of Imprisonment in the Contemporary Legal System
 
2. Creator Author's name, affiliation, country Didik Purnomo; Faculty of Law, Universitas Negeri Semarang, Semarang; Indonesia orcid
 
2. Creator Author's name, affiliation, country Bagus Hendradi Kusuma; Faculty of Law, Universitas Negeri Semarang, Semarang; Indonesia orcid
 
3. Subject Discipline(s)
 
3. Subject Keyword(s) Imprisonment; Sentencing; Alternative Punishment
 
4. Description Abstract Introduction: Indonesia's criminal justice system still places imprisonment as the primary sanction, although its effectiveness is increasingly questioned. The high occupancy rates in correctional facilities, the burden on the state budget, and weak social reintegration indicate a mismatch between the idealized goals of criminal punishment and the reality of practice. This situation calls for a reevaluation of the relevance of prison sentences within the framework of contemporary criminal law.Purposes of the Research: This study aims to re-examine the effectiveness of prison sentences within the framework of Indonesian criminal law following the latest codification, by considering their suitability in relation to the objectives of modern sentencing. The focus is on formulating a prison sentence concept that is proportional, measurable, and oriented towards rehabilitation and social reintegration, making it relevant for the development of criminal law theory and national policy.Methods of the Research: This research uses a normative legal method, focusing on a doctrinal study of statutory regulations, doctrines, and criminal law literature. The approaches used include legislative, conceptual, and comparative approaches to examine the effectiveness of imprisonment and its relevance within the framework of the 2023 Criminal Code, resulting in a systematic, measurable, and academic analysis.Findings of the Research: This study highlights the opportunity to reorganize the orientation of criminal sanctions through the latest codification of criminal law. Imprisonment, no longer dominant, becomes a last resort for minor offenses. Normative analysis reveals the weaknesses of prison, encouraging alternative penalties. This study reconstructs the objectives of criminal sanctions, offering a concept that is more proportional, rehabilitative, and relevant to the needs of national law and policy.
 
5. Publisher Organizing agency, location Faculty of Law, Universitas Pattimura
 
6. Contributor Sponsor(s)
 
7. Date (YYYY-MM-DD) 2025-12-31
 
8. Type Status & genre Peer-reviewed Article
 
8. Type Type
 
9. Format File format PDF
 
10. Identifier Uniform Resource Identifier https://fhukum.unpatti.ac.id/jurnal/tatohi/article/view/3588
 
10. Identifier Digital Object Identifier 10.47268/tatohi.v5i10.3588
 
11. Source Title; vol., no. (year) TATOHI: Jurnal Ilmu Hukum; Volume 5 Issue 10, December 2025
 
12. Language English=en en
 
13. Relation Supp. Files
 
14. Coverage Geo-spatial location, chronological period, research sample (gender, age, etc.)
 
15. Rights Copyright and permissions

Copyright:

Authors who publish their manuscripts in this Journal agree to the following conditions:

1. The copyright in each article belongs to the author, as well as the right to patent.

2. Authors are able to enter into separate, additional contractual arrangements for the non-exclusive distribution of the journal's published version of the work (e.g., post it to an institutional repository or publish it in a book), with an acknowledgment of its initial publication in this journal.

3. Authors are permitted and encouraged to post their work online (e.g., in institutional repositories or on their website) prior to and during the submission process, as it can lead to productive exchanges, as well as earlier and greater citation of published work.

4. Authors have the right to self-archiving of the article (Author Self-Archiving Policy)

 

Licence : TATOHI: Jurnal Ilmu Hukum is disseminated based on the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International license terms. This license allows anyone to copy and redistribute this material in any form or format, compose, modify, and make derivatives of this material for any purpose. You cannot use this material for commercial purposes. You must specify an appropriate name, include a link to the license, and certify that any changes have been made. You can do this in a way that is appropriate but does not imply that the licensor supports you or your use.

 

Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License..

Refbacks

  • There are currently no refbacks.


Copyright (c) 2025 Didik Purnomo, Bagus Hendradi Kusuma

Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.