Senator Robinhood Padilla eyes the decongestion of the New Bilibid Prisons in Muntinlupa City through the creation of regional penal farms.
Padilla filed Senate Bill 235 which he said would also ensure inmates serving “final judgment” to be visited by their respective families.
The measure seeks to set up penitentiary systems in at least 10 regions – Regions I, II, III, V, VI, VIII, IX, X, XII and XIII.
“Ultimately, this bill seeks to create additional regional penal institutions not only to address the severe congestion in the country’s jails and prisons, but to also ensure the welfare of persons serving final judgment as they await their reintegration to society,” the bill stated.
“While (congestion) remains a pressing issue, this representation wants to focus more on the impact of far incarceration of persons serving final judgment from their families,” it added.
Padilla noted that there were only seven penitentiary institutions nationwide: the New Bilibid Prison in Muntinlupa City; Correctional Institution for Women in Mandaluyong City; Iwahig Penal Colony in Puerto Princesa City, Palawan; San Ramon Prison and Penal Farm in Zamboanga City; Sablayan Prison and Penal Farm in Occidental Mindoro; Leyte Regional Prison; and Davao Prison and Penal Farm.
Padilla lamented visits among families had “become a mere privilege” due to the costs of transportation and accommodation.
“Recognizing therefore the paramount role of the family in providing emotional, moral and psychosocial support to every person serving final judgment, this measure is being proposed to widen the opportunities of families and other support groups to pay a visit to their loved ones inside the penitentiaries,” Padilla said.
Under the bill, the penal farms to be established will have a “standard and uniform design” for the prison, reformation and administrative facilities.
The bill mandates the Bureau of Corrections to create an infrastructure plan, coordinate the construction of the regional penitentiaries, and carry out the decentralization and transfer of prisoners to the regional penal farms.