Jail contraband

It kind of makes sense. Prisons are designed to keep people in. Not out. That’s why cells have bars to prevent inmates from escaping.

Guards roam these “holding” facilities to ensure that the inmates are where they’re supposed to be. And that is, inside the walls and not out on the streets.

But with an average custodial personnel to inmate ratio of one guard for every 60 inmates, that translates to not enough people to keep an eye on things.

So it’s no surprise then that greyhound operations continue to yield bootleg you wouldn’t think would be readily available in facilities that are expected to have strict security.

How else do you explain the illegal drugs, drugs paraphernalia and smart phones recovered from an isolation cell in the male dormitory during one such operation at the Talisay City Jail last Friday?

According to Supt. Gil Inopia, Talisay City Jail warden, they received information that illegal drugs were being smuggled inside the male isolation cell, where six inmates are detained, hence the surprise inspection.

Inopia identified Yayam Aliman Gaviola, a high-profile inmate facing an illegal drug charge, as the owner of the contraband.

Gaviola was placed in isolation after he was caught with a cellphone in his cell during an earlier greyhound operation last Wednesday. He also allegedly ordered a fellow detainee to bribe a jail guard.

Of course, Gaviola denied ownership of the small pack of shabu, plastics with suspected shabu residue, drug paraphernalia, the smartphone tablet, the pocket wifi, the phone charger and the SIM pack.

Of course, he pointed to someone else, an Arjan Bacus, as their rightful owner. It just so happened that Bacus was released from detention last Thursday. Oh, and did I mention that Bacus was killed thereafter? So questioning him is simply out of the question. But here’s another thing I don’t understand. It seems our authorities have thrown in the towel on the problem because it looks like contraband-slipping-past-the-guards-at-the-door is more a matter of fact as opposed to the exception.

How else do you explain the presence of illegal drugs and other illegal items in almost all jails here in the province?

And if this is the case--actually, this must be the case--why can’t prisons nationwide—whether operated by the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology or the Bureau of Corrections or a local government unit—just tighten security at the gate?

I mean, check all items thoroughly before these are allowed entry.

Trust me, a smartphone tablet and a pocket wifi will stand out. Easily. The same thing cannot be said for packs of shabu, though.

And that’s why all visitors must also voluntarily subject themselves to embarrassing cavity searches. With no exception. If they refuse, then the facility should deny them entry. Simple as that. Jail visitation should be a privilege, not a right. Anyway, enough of my pontification. We all know that it’s almost next to impossible to sneak something into prisons without inside help.