Wednesday, June 25, 2025

BuCor to build halfway houses for inmates waiting for release

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HALFWAY houses to prepare inmates for their eventual release and reintegration into society will be established across all operating prisons and penal farms (OPPF) of the Bureau of Corrections (BuCor).

BuCor Director General Gregorio Catapang Jr. said the halfway houses will also ensure that inmates have the necessary support and resources for their successful reintegration into society.

In a memorandum addressed to all OPPF superintendents and external affairs chiefs, Catapang stressed the importance of the implementation of a comprehensive program for inmates in the halfway houses.

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These programs, the memorandum said, shall include various components such as counseling sessions, orientation activities, interviews, and short courses designed to equip inmates with the skills and knowledge they need when they get out of jail.

“This holistic approach recognizes that preparing individuals for reintegration involves more than simply setting them free but it requires equipping them with the tools to navigate societal challenges effectively,” Catapang said in his directive.

“This halfway houses will serve as temporary residences for individuals awaiting release and are envisioned not only as transitional spaces but also as secure holding areas for released Persons Deprived of Liberty (PDLs) whose settlement arrangements are still pending,” it added.

Catapang also directed OPPF superintendents to submit their detailed plans and design for each halfway house, along with the proposed funding requirements.

“While the project is being planned and funded, the concerned officials are likewise directed to identify a suitable area where Persons Deprived of Liberty about to be released shall be temporarily housed in order to separate them from the general inmate population and focus on reintegration programs intended for them,” Catapang added.

Aside from the New Bilibid Prison in Muntinlupa, the BuCor also operates the Correctional Institute for Women in Mandaluyong, Iwahig Prison and Penal Farm in Palawan, Davao Prison and Penal Farm, San Ramon Prison and Penal Farm in Zamboanga City, and the Leyte Regional Prison in Abuyog, Southern Leyte.

The BuCor has a budget amounting to more than P9 billion this year.

Catapang did not say how much will be used for the establishment of the halfway houses, saying his office would wait for the OPPFs to submit their funding requirements for such facility.

In November last year, the agency said it would need around P211 billion to construct 17 regional prison facilities and three specialized detention institutions across Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao to decongest the national penitentiary.

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