A party-list lawmaker lauded a Supreme Court (SC)-led national summit next month that would address the chronic congestion in the country’s jails.
Rep. Brian Raymund Yamsuan of Bicol Saro party-list group also underscored the need to unify the fragmented correctional system as an effective long-term solution to this perennial problem.
As a former assistant secretary of the Interior Department, Yamsuan said he is optimistic that the upcoming National Jail Decongestion Summit organized by the SC in coordination with the Justice Sector Coordinating Council (JSCC) would yield fresh policies and programs meant to address overcrowding in the country’s jails and detention centers.
“This commendable effort is a significant step in tackling the pervasive issue of jail congestion. We are confident that the summit would be able to come up with ways to reduce backlogs and speed up the disposition of cases to help address the overpopulation in our jails and prisons,” Yamsuan said.
“At the same time, we hope that the participants in the summit would also consider the long-term solution of integrating the country’s fragmented correctional system. We have been pushing for this reform through our measure that seeks to create the Department of Corrections and Jail Management (DCJM),” added Yamsuan.
Set to be held on December 6 and 7, 2023 in Manila, the National Jail Decongestion Summit will bring together key stakeholders, experts, justice sector leaders, and international partners to “devise
comprehensive strategies that prioritize sustainable solutions for the reduction of inmate populations in correctional facilities,” according to a recent statement released by the Supreme Court.
The summit is organized by the JSCC, which is composed of the SC, the Department of Justice (DOJ), and the DILG.
Yamsuan said unifying the government agencies and offices in charge of overseeing the management of the country’s jails under one department should be included in the list of “sustainable solutions” that participants aim to discuss during the summit.
Creating his proposed DCJM as outlined under House Bill (HB) 8672 “would provide the seamless coordination among the different agencies involved in the administration of justice and ensure that the rights and welfare of persons deprived of liberty (PDLs) are protected,” Yamsuan said.
Under HB 8672, the Bureau of Corrections (BuCor), which is currently under the DOJ; the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP) of the DILG; the correctional and jail services of the provincial
governments; the Board of Pardons and Parole (BPP); and the Parole and Probation Administration (PPA) will be placed under the DCJM.
Yamsuan said unifying the management of the corrections, jail management, and probations systems, would also “streamline resource allocation and budgeting,” which will then ensure that each penal
facility would have adequate funding to support essential services that would contribute to better living conditions and a higher standard of care for PDLs.
This, in turn, will foster an environment more conducive to the rehabilitation of PDLs, Yamsuan pointed out.
According to data from BuCor, the National Bilibid Prison (NBP) and other penal facilities it manages currently houses over 50,000 inmates nationwide. But the total capacity of all these jails is estimated at only 12, 250 inmates, which leads to a congestion rate of close to 400 percent.
The congestion rate alone of the NBP, the largest mega-prison in the world, is at 377 percent. Its population of 30,701 based on the latest available data is only enough for 6,500 inmates.