With the problem of jail congestion arising, Governor Lilia “Nanay” Pineda stressed the province needs bigger jails in line with the intensified campaign against illegal drugs and other crimes in the province.
This was gleaned during the recent Joint Provincial Peace and Order Council and Provincial Anti-Drug Abuse Council Meeting held at Kingsborough International Convention Center here.
Pineda asked the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP) to look for bigger lots for the construction of new district jails to alleviate the congestion problem inside the existing prison cells.
“Nandiyan na ang budget ninyo, kailangan na lang ang lote para hindi na masikip ang mga district jails,” she said.
Pineda also said that the inmates need humane treatment albeit currently detained.
“Tao rin yan. Kahit pusher ‘yan, kahit may ginawang krimen, tao pa rin siya,” she said.
In the report presented by the BJMP, Guagua District Jail has the highest congestion rate with 2,068 per cent or 694 current inmates over 32 inmate capacity. This is followed by Angeles District Jail Female Dormitory with 1,637 per cent; Angeles District Jail with 1,425 per cent; Guagua District Jail Female Dormitory, 1,418 per cent; Arayat District Jail, 285 per cent; and San Fernando District Jail, 168 per cent. Apalit District Jail is the only district jail in the province that is not congested, with -63% or two inmates with 5 inmate capacity facility.
The governor also eyes to purchase a 10-hectare lot in Arayat town for a bigger prison for the province.
“This is better for the inmates, they can have their mini-farm there and plant some crops for their food. They can also have lots of space to do their livelihood projects,” she said.
Today, the PPJ population has ballooned to 2,146 inmates, which is far from its ideal capacity of 800 wherein 80.593% are drug related cases.