Church calls for better prisons

The Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) yesterday called on the government to improve the conditions of prisoners.

The CBCP made the appeal during the observance of the 31st Prison Awareness Day.

The CBCP episcopal commission on prison pastoral care (ECPPC) urged the government and the Catholic faithful to look into the plight of inmates and take actions to help improve their conditions.

“For those of us who can, let us be part of our local churches’ ministry and provide a sustained and meaningful program of human, social, and spiritual apostolate for our brothers,” CBCP-ECPPC head Bishop Joel Baylon said in a statement.

Baylon said all sectors must work together in addressing the problems of inmates.

“Let us do advocacy work and tell our leaders to do something to alleviate the prisoners’ living conditions and to respect and uphold their human rights,” he said.

The CBCP official lamented how the conditions of prisoners in the country have remained inhuman throughout the years.

Baylon said the sorry state of prisons may be attributed to the problem of congestion, which is caused by lack of prison facilities.

He noted that a number of inmates have been languishing in jails without the benefit of a preliminary hearing.

Baylon added that many prisoners are suffering from skin diseases and other illnesses, but do not have the benefit of medical assistance.

He lamented that the situation is made even worse by the stigma that comes with being imprisoned.

“Some of us are afraid to visit jails. Our minds and hearts are filled with fear and negative impressions, thinking that prison is a place to avoid,” Baylon said.

The CBCP has designated the last Sunday of October as Prison Awareness Day.

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