COA to BJMP: Solve jail congestion

MANILA, Philippines — The Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP) needs to acquire more land to address jail congestion rates, which have risen to as high as nearly 3,000 percent in some prisons in 2023, according to the Commission on Audit (COA).

In its recent audit report on the BJMP, the COA said 324 of 482 jails nationwide are congested, with occupancy rates of up to 2,927 percent, which is “far beyond the acceptable standards” under existing frameworks for the rights of inmates.

State auditors flagged 60 of the congested jails in Region 4-A that garnered a combined total population of 22,401 when these facilities were intended to house only 4,685 inmates.

Calabarzon’s Dasmariñas City Jail female dormitory was the most crowded with a congestion rate of 2,837, followed by Muntinlupa City Jail’s male dormitory with 2,102 percent and San Mateo Municipal Jail’s male dormitory with 2,022 percent.

Among the regions whose jail facilities recorded the highest congestion rates were Metro Manila with 2,102 percent; Central Visayas, 1,447 percent; Central Luzon, 1,356 percent; Western Visayas, 930 percent; Zamboanga Peninsula, 868 percent; Soccsksargen, 721 percent; Bicol Region, 661 percent, and Mimaropa with 611 percent.

While state auditors acknowledged the ongoing efforts to decongest jails such as the release of 22,383 inmates last year, the COA flagged the BJMP’s failure to complete the construction of new detention facilities.

In Metro Manila, three jails are not fully utilized while two are non-operational.

The COA also flagged the non-completion of the San Juan jail, which costs P100 million.

State auditors told the BJMP to explore all available options to decongest jails such as asking for land donations from local government units and construction of jails.