MANILA, Philippines — The Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP) has recorded a congestion rate of 394 percent following the release of 58,000 inmates with minor criminal offenses under the Good Conduct Time Allowance (GCTA) law.
As of yesterday, around 134,549 persons deprived of liberty are detained in 476 jails nationwide for a congestion rate of 394 percent, lower compared to the 439 percent congestion rate in 2018, according to BJMP spokesman Maj. Xavier Solda.
Cebu City jail is the most populated detention facility with 5,805 inmates followed by the Manila City jail with 5,441 and Quezon City Jail with 3,627 detainees.
Solda cited the release of 58,000 inmates since 2013 as among the significant factors in easing jail congestion.
“Nakatulong naman ang GCTA BJMP pagdating sa decongestion,” he said in an interview over dzBB.
Solda said the prospect of leaving prison earlier motivated the inmates to join educational programs and other reformative projects of the bureau.
“Alam nila na kapag nag-aral sila at nagpakita ng magandang behavior ay mabibigyan sila ng GCTA,” he said.
He said part of the legal process is to inform the courts a month before the inmates are expected to be freed that they have qualified under the GCTA law or Republic Act 10592.
Another factor is the construction of more detention facilities to decongest existing jails, Solda said.
He said the BJMP has been strengthening its paralegal support and regularly coordinating with courts on the status of the inmates’ cases.