DOJ rolls out solution to fix prison overcrowding
THE Department of Justice (DOJ) has implemented several “immediate fixes” to address the long-standing issue of prison overcrowding, which a recent study has found to have exceeded capacity.
During his speech at the 52nd Regular Session of the United Nations Human Rights Council (HRC) in Geneva, Switzerland, Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla revealed that the DOJ, through the Bureau of Corrections (BuCor), has established the periodic review of prison records for all persons deprived of liberty (PDLs).
Remulla emphasized that the DOJ initiated the process of digitizing the single prisoner record system (“carpeta”) by creating a dedicated office to fully implement the project.
“Through this review, we have been able to compute the Good Conduct Time Allowance (GCTA) of all PDLs and continue to do so. As a result, we have released about 500 PDLs every month since September 2022, or a total of 4,124 since taking office on July 1, 2022,” Remulla said.
He said the DOJ has deployed a total of 2,830 lawyers from the Public Attorney’s Office (PAO) to review the status of PDLs whom they represent for the purpose of seeking their early release.
Remulla added that the DOJ has released elderly PDLs and those suffering from debilitating illnesses for humanitarian reasons.
“On a personal note, I am proud to declare that I made it a point to attend these releases of PDLs. No words can describe the joy and happiness of the families upon their reunion. This is the best gift that I have received in office, a true testament to the reformatory nature of our corrections system,” he said in his speech.
Citing a study commissioned by the Justice Sector Coordinating Council (JSCC) on jail congestion, Remulla disclosed that by the end of 2021, there were more than 200,000 PDLs in jails across the country.
According to him, approximately 70 percent of these PDLs are detention prisoners undergoing case trials, while the remaining 30 percent had already been sentenced.
