Muezzin Cadre Program and RuRa Ramadhan Festival as Tools for Self-Development at the Class IIB Rantau Detention Center

The religious development program at The Class IIB Rantau Detention Center is a concrete implementation of Law Number 22 of 2022 concerning Corrections, which emphasizes the importance of personality and self-reliance development one of which can be achieved through religious activities. This community engagement initiative aimed to implement the 2025 Muezzin Cadre Program and RuRa Ramadhan Festival as platforms for inmates’ spiritual and social self-development. The program also makes a practical contribution to the development of rehabilitation models within correctional institutions and a theoretical contribution to research on self- development through religious activities, particularly within correctional institutions. Employing a Participatory Action Research (PAR) approach, the program was conducted over 27 days through stages of problem identification, planning, implementation, evaluation, and closure. The muezzin cadre program focused on both theoretical and practical adhan (call to prayer) training held four times a week, resulting in a significant improvement in participants' skills and a second-place achievement in a virtual adhan competition among Banua Lima correctional institutions. Meanwhile, the RuRa Ramadhan Festival featured adhan, Qur’an memorization, and Islamic quiz competitions, providing a positive and competitive outlet for inmate expression. The results showed increased self-confidence, social cohesion, and motivation among the inmates to continue personal growth. The active collaboration between students, detention center staff, and external partners was key to the program’s success as an inspirational and applicable model for religious-based inmate development.