The Commission on Audit has claimed the total jail population of the Philippines had exceeded its ideal capacity by 439 percent, or an over occupancy of 111,046, in 2018 due to the increase in drug cases and slow action in courts.
In its annual audit report on the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology, the COA said the ideal capacity of Philippine jails was only around 25,268 inmates, but the population had ballooned to 136,314 as of December 31, 2018.
Government auditors said this violated the BJMP Manual on Habitat, Water, Sanitation, and Kitchen in Jails and the United Nations Minimum Standard Rules for the Treatment of Prisoners.
The CoA attributed these rates to the increased number of drug-related cases, slow or no action on pending cases in court, non-release on bail of detainees due to poverty, or scarce land where jail buildings could be built.
Nonetheless, the CoA lauded the BJMP for placing measures on inmate development.
This includes the Recognizance Act of 2012 and the Good Conduct Time Allowance where detainees can enjoy livelihood training programs, religious activities, sports and other programs.
The UN rules state that jails should maintain “climatic conditions” with proper sleeping accommodation and ventilation, while the BJMP manual allows only 10 inmates per cell for every 4.7 square meters of floor area.
Some studies have suggested that temperatures inside jails and prisons could be very hot, with heat index—a measure of how hot it really feels when humidity is factored in with the temperature—could reach even higher than the already hot temperature.
The consequences of these heat waves can be severe.
The COA had warned the condition of jails posed a risk on the health of the inmates, who might also resort to joining gangs inside the prisons for their safety.
According to CoA: “To sustain survival, inmates hold on to gangs or ‘pangkat’ where they find protection, network of social support and most important, access to material benefits. These situations are prevalent in highly congested facilities.”
Region 9 had the most crowded jails last year with a congestion rate of 645 percent, or an overcapacity of 4,943, from its ideal population of 766.
Region 7 came second, followed by Region 4-A with an overpopulation of 17,086 and 18,203, respectively.
The Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao, on the other hand, exceeded its ideal jail capacity of 103 by only 40 inmates.
The audit agency urged the BJMP to continue addressing the congestion problem in all jails and prioritize the purchase of lots and construction of new buildings.
In response, BJMP management said it had been coordinating with the Supreme Court in exploring remedies to the jail congestion such as the early release of inmates.
The BJMP added it had also appealed to the SC to allow the Katatagan Kontra Droga sa Komunindad program to serve as an in-house intervention program for detainees facing illegal drug charges.
