THE Bureau of Corrections (BuCor) yesterday released 240 more inmates, bringing to 6,110 the number of persons deprived of liberty (PDLs) who have been released since January this year as part of the overall effort of the BuCor and the Department of Justice to decongest its prison facilities, including the New Bilibid Prison in Muntinlupa City.
BuCor Director General Gregorio Catapang Jr. said that of the released inmates, 124 have already served their maximum sentence, 30 were acquitted, 16 under probation, and 69 granted parole. One was turned over to the Bureau of Jai Management and Penology for detention for another pending case.
Of the said numbers, 19 were from the Correctional Institution for Women (CIW – Mandaluyong City), two from CIW – Mindanao, 33 from the Davao Prison and Penal Farm, six from the Iwahig Prison and Penal Farm, 15 from the Leyte Regional Prison, 49 from the NBP – Maximum Security Camp, 48 from NBP – Medium Security Camp, 10 from NBP – Minimum Security Camp, 5 from NBP – Reception and Diagnostic Center, 23 from the Sablayan Prison and Penal Farm, and 30 from the San Ramon Prison and Penal Farm in Zamboanga City.
Catapang, in a message, encouraged the released inmates to seize their second chance at life with gratitude and responsibility and a commitment to positive change.
“Let us reaffirm our commitment to building a more inclusive and compassionate society and let us recognize that everyone deserves a second chance. Let us extend a hand of support to those who are seeking to rebuild their lives,” he said.
The release of the PDLs coincided with the start of the celebration of the National Corrections Consciousness Week this week.
The BuCor said 16,657 inmates have been released since 2022 as part of the agency’s overall effort to decongest its prison facilities, especially the national penitentiary.
The NBP and six other operating prison and penal farms of BuCor nationwide hold over 52,000 inmates, although their total capacity is only around 12,000, or an average congestion rate of 231 percent.
The national penitentiary alone holds over 28,000 inmates, a far cry from its original capacity of only 9,885 when it was built.
The DOJ, the mother agency of the BuCor, instituted a decongestion program in 2022, particularly at the NBP prior to its planned closure in 2028 to be turned into a commercial and business center.