Alternative learning now a must in QC jails

MANILA, Philippines - Quezon City Mayor Herbert Bautista approved last week an ordinance that institutionalizes the conduct of Alternative Learning System (ALS) program of the Department of Education in detention facilities in the city.

The ordinance, authored by fifth district councilor Aly Medalla, said the city government is mandated to ensure that inmates are given access to adequate and sufficient education through the ALS program.

The program refers to a parallel learning system that serves as a viable alternative to the existing formal education.

The ordinance cited recent research on prison education programs, which presents discouraging statistics on the current recidivism rate or the rate of the habitual relapse into crime.

It said that nearly seven in 10 people who were formerly imprisoned will commit a new crime, with half of them predicted to return to prison within three years.

According to the study, the best way to reduce the instances of recidivism is through education during imprisonment.

The ordinance allows the division of city schools to conduct inspections of the detention facilities to ensure that adequate facilities are made available for the program.