Journal of Law Justice
Vol 4 No 1 (2026): Journal of Law Justice

Penal Policy Dilemma: Child Drug Couriers in Indonesia’s Juvenile Justice System

Novieyan Yahya (Universitas Semarang)
Putri Haliza Yuniar (Universitas Semarang)
Kadi Sukarna (Universitas Semarang)
Zaenal Arifin (Universitas Semarang)



Article Info

Publish Date
03 Apr 2026

Abstract

This study aims to analyze the role and patterns of adolescent involvement as drug couriers in Sumbawa Barat Regency, identify the factors influencing adolescents' vulnerability within drug trafficking networks, and assess the effectiveness of law enforcement and prevention strategies implemented from the perspective of child protection and the juvenile justice system. The method of research used is a qualitative approach with a case study strategy thru in-depth interviews with law enforcement officers, field observations, and the study of official documents related to narcotics cases involving adolescents. The novelty of this research lies in its specific focus on examining the position of adolescents as drug couriers in the Sumbawa Barat Regency, which has been minimally studied in the literature on juvenile criminal law in Indonesia. The study's results indicate that law enforcement against juvenile drug couriers still faces various obstacles, including legal procedures that are not yet fully child-friendly, weak rehabilitative orientation, and lack of coordination between law enforcement agencies and rehabilitation institutions. This study concludes that there is a need to strengthen the capacity of law enforcement officers, optimize rehabilitation programs, and consistently apply preventive and restorative approaches so that the handling of drug cases involving adolescents is not only repressive but also capable of sustainably reducing the involvement of adolescents in drug trafficking.

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Journal Info

Abbrev

jlj

Publisher

Subject

Law, Crime, Criminology & Criminal Justice Social Sciences Other

Description

Journal of Law Justice (JLJ) is a Journal of Law for information and communication resources for academics, and observers of Business Law, International law, Criminal law, and Civil law. The published paper is the result of research, reflection, and criticism with respect to the themes of Business ...