INTERIOR Secretary Benjamin “Benhur” Abalos Jr. said he has discussed with the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP) strategies in addressing congestion problems – one of which is to focus in reducing the numbers of the so-called repeat offenders through reintegration programs.

Abalos was the guest of honor in the BJMP’s 32nd Anniversary held at the Multi-purpose hall in Camp Crame Saturday afternoon.

The DILG chief told reporters that he and Jail Director Ruel Rivera talked about how they would be able to help persons deprived of liberty (PDLs) productive when they get freedom and return to their community.

He cited figures wherein 70 percent of those detained under BJMP facilities are drug-related but 30 percent of them most likely return to jail because they couldn’t find decent jobs due to their records.

Instead, they find themselves back to their old ways and again to incarceration thus contributing anew to the congestion woes.

Although putting up additional jail facilities would still the first in mind to decongest jails, Abalos stressed the need to be innovative and think some “out-of-the-box” strategies.

“Kamukha ng sinasabi ko kanina, let’s look at the figures, kulang-kulang 70% are drug-related, at yung bumabalik sa kulungan are 30%, so kung ang problema ay sa decongestion, the government can only do so much sa paggawa ng ganito, pero kung wala. . concentrate dun sa bumabalik, kung mababaan mo tong congestion rate na to na 30%, repeat offenders, malaking bagay yan,”

He added: “Kaya nga nagpapagawa ako ngayon ng program at ngayon napag-usapan namin ni Chief (Rivera), – noh na talagang napakagaling nitong si chief – ung priority programs namin para wag na silang bumalik, isipin no ung 30% kung babawasan mo maski 20%, 10 na lang, . . .na decongest mo na, there would be no need for a new jail, di mo na kailangan ng tao, so we must also look at that we started at.”

He went on to explain the pre-release program the BJMP has been implementing on outgoing PDLs that contributes a lot in reducing the congestion rate from 387% in 2022 to 358 in the second semester of 2023.

It has been the reality where the so-called “ex-inmates” find it very hard to be productive because of their past.

Abalos said it is where the government should step in.

“Karamihan ng mga lumalabas, number 1 walang trabaho yan, number 2 baka hindi pa tanggapin ng pamilya yan, number 3 may problem sa community, so bago mo ilalabas yan, hinahanda mo na yan, ihihiwalay mo na yan, ihahatid mo na yang skills nyan, paglabas mo o baka pwede ka magtrabaho sa kumpanyang ito, kinukontak na namin, ito po skills nito, ganito ganito, o saan ka titira, subukan namin hanapan ka naming uupahan mo, ito lang sa kinikita mo,. . . in short paglabas nya medyo hindi na siya kinakabahan, kaya nga ung iba mas gusto pa sa kulungan ulit eh, dhl composed ka na, di na magbabago, pagkatapos nyan meron kang kinakain sa araw-araw, so these kind of fears, so bago mo ilabas, tulungan mon a sya, so malaking bagay un and I hope it would help in the decongestion program or most importantly sa repeat offenders.

AUTHOR PROFILE

Joel dela Torre