Jail congestion jumps to 562% – BJMP

The overcrowding of jail cells in the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP) facilities has hounded the agency as the nationwide congestion rate has increased to a whopping 562.87 percent since the Duterte administration’s massive campaign against illegal drugs was enforced.

As of June 5, the BJMP recorded that the country, with 482 district, city and municipality jails nationwide, has a total of 144,814 jail population.

Out of this figure, 102,668 or 70.95 percent of persons deprived of liberty (PDL) have drug-related cases.

BJMP spokesman Senior Inspector Xavier Solda said the Manila City Jail recorded the most number of detainees with 5,573 followed by Cebu City Jail with 5,002 and Quezon City Jail with 3,602.

He noted the top three most congested jails are the Navotas City Jail with 929 PDLs and a congestion rate of 3,872 percent; Biñan City Jail with 498 PDLs and a congestion rate of 2,770 percent; and General Trias City Jail with 379 PDLs and a congestion rate of 2,622 percent.

The rise in congestion rates is primarily due to the government’s relentless illegal drug war, Solda said.

"Well dapat ang bilang lamang ng mga persons deprived of liberty na nasa facilities ng BJMP, dapat nasa mga 25,000 lang pero sa huling datos na meron tayo, umabot na sa 144,814, 'yan ay kung pagbabasehan natin 4.7 square meter per person na nasa building code (The number of PDLs in the BJMP facilities should only be about 25,000. However, in the latest data that we have, it already reached 144,814. If our basis is the building code, that would be about 4.7 square meter per person),” Solda said.

Also, Solda said that the jail population of the country has "gradually increased" as they have recorded a total of 146,147 jail population in January 2018 to 144,614 on June 1.

Solda added the BJMP has also strengthened its paralegal programs and the granting of Good Conduct Time Allowance to PDL under the agency’s “our care to decongest our jails.