BuCor needs P211B to build new detention facilities

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THE Bureau of Correction said it would need around P211 billion to construct 17 regional prison facilities and three specialized detention institutions across Luzon, the Visayas, and Mindanao.

The amount is part of the overall plan presented by BuCor Deputy Director General for Administration Al Perrras during the 42nd Asian and Pacific Conference of Correctional Administrators in Hong Kong which ended last Friday.

More than 140 delegates from 30 Asia-Pacific countries, including the Philippines, highlighted the needs and efforts of the agency to institute reforms and changes in the Philippine correctional system which is burdened by lack of resources to cope with the increasing number of prisoners.

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The agency’s presentation was part of the government’s overall plan to decongest the New Bilibid Prison in Muntinlupa City and six other operating prisons and penal farms across the country and improve the lot of prisoners.

During his presentation, Perreras highlighted significant initiatives outlined in BuCor’s long-term plan, which includes the development of regional facilities, building separate institutions for heinous crimes, and positioning the corrections system as a food security basket for the nation.

To achieve these goals, Perreras told the gathering that Bucor requires a “substantial investment of $3.678 billion or around P211 billion” to build 17 regional facilities and three specialized institutions to house heinous crime convicts across Luzon, the Visayas, and Mindanao.

He said that as of last August, there were 53,826 inmates housed at the NBP, Correctional Institution for Women in Mandaluyong City, Sablayan Prison and Penal Farm in Sablayan, Occidental Mindoro, Iwahig Prison and Penal Farm in Palawan, Leyte Regional Prison, Davao Prison and Penal Farm and the San Ramon Prison and Penal Farm in Zamboanga City.

Of this, seven percent are females, with 33 percent of them convicted of crimes against persons, 26 percent of drug-related crimes, 20 percent of crimes against chastity and 21 percent for other crimes.

At least 41 percent of the inmates finished vocational courses, 35 percent were high school graduates, 12 percent were either college undergraduates or college graduates, six percent were elementary graduates, and six percent were illiterate.

Perreras also disclosed that the number of inmates has grown significantly from 28,530 in 2004, or an annual increase of four percent.

“This demographic information sheds light on the pressing need for rehabilitation and educational programs within the correctional framework to support reintegration and reduce recidivism, ultimately contributing to a more sustainable and effective correctional system,” Perreras told the gathering.

The congestion problem in its prison facilities has spurred the BuCor and the Department of Justice to institute a decongestion program in 2022, particularly at the NBP before its planned closure in 2028 to be turned into a commercial and business center.

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