The Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP) reported a decrease in the jail congestion rate last year compared to the 2022 record, attributing to the continuous implementation of paralegal programs nationwide, according to the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG).
Citing BJMP data, the DILG said in its year-end report that the jail bureau recorded 348 percent congestion rate from January to October 2023 compared to 367 percent for the same period in 2022.
Part of BJMP’s paralegal services include Good Conduct Time Allowance (GCTA), which permits deduction of 20-30 days per month from the possible maximum imprisonment based on the length of incarceration; and the Time Allowance for Study, Teaching, and Mentoring (TASTM), offering additional 15 days deduction to qualified inmates or Persons Deprived of Liberty (PDLs) engaging in 60 hours of study, teaching and mentoring services monthly.
Some 77,467 PDLs were granted time allowance, while 18,865 had qualified for TASTM.
Another paralegal service is the Special Time Allowance for Loyalty (STAL), granted to PDLs who have chose to stay in confinement even if they had the opportunity to escape during calamities, with deductions of one-fifth or two-fifths based on their choices during such events.
And responding to calls support to eradicate drug abuse by the administration and the commitment to the holistic rehabilitation of PDL, the BJMP strengthened its Greyhound Operations which were conducted through the joint effort of all BJMP-manned jails, Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA), Philippine National Police (PNP) and other law enforcement agencies.
The jail bureau’s relentless anti-illegal drug efforts also led to the certification of 70.44 percent (305 out of 433) occupied jails as drug-free and drug-cleared by the Regional Oversight Committee in Declaring Drug-Free and Drug-Cleared BJMP Jails composed of PDEA and BJMP.
The BJMP also is also working to improve the well-being of PDLs, through partnerships with the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA), NGOs and private institutions that offer an array of livelihood and vocational skills training such as carpentry, masonry, electrical installation, food services, etc.
The prisoners are also given access to elementary, junior, and senior high school education, as well as tertiary education through the College Behind Bars Program.
This holistic approach underscores the jail bureau’s commitment to equipping PDLs with valuable skills and opportunities for their eventual reintegration into society. *PND*
