JUSTICE Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla yesterday said the government may be able to build regional prisons within the next three to four years as part of efforts to reform the country’s prison system.
In a press conference, Remulla acknowledged there is a “big problem” at the New Bilibid Prison in Muntinlupa City, which he said should be reformed.
“We have a big problem in Bilibid, that is why we have to reform our prison system and not only the transfer of maximum security, but also the regionalization of prisons is now on the table,’ Remulla said.
“In the next three to four years, we may be able to build a few regional prisons already. We will see how it launches in the next 20 months as we are just finalizing the design and the financial model to be used,” he said, adding that the DOJ is discussing the possible design of the facility with the Department of Public Works and Highways.
He said it is even possible they would not tap national government funds for the construction of regional prisons.
“We may be able to build regional prisons without using budget from the national government. We have a financial model to follow,” he said, without elaborating.
Remulla said the regionalization of the prison system, instead of operating a “mega prison’ like the national penitentiary, would solve many problems, including addressing the congestion of Bilibid and other facilities operated by the Bureau of Corrections.
“Regionalization solves many problems. You also humanize the prison system, since the problem is it has become a mega prison. There is a need to humanize the prisons, to treat inmates as a person and not just a number,” he said, adding that relatives of inmates would also be able to visit their loved ones near their localities, instead of going to the NBP.
Earlier, Remulla said the NBP and other BuCor-operated prison facilities have a 330 percent congestion rate.
The national penitentiary currently houses 28,900 inmates, including those detained at the maximum-security compound. The NBP was originally meant to house at most 6,000 inmates when it was constructed in 1940.
The DOJ chief previously said they are targeting the construction of a maximum-security prison facility in Sablayan, Occidental Mindoro to house inmates convicted of heinous crimes.
As part of the decongestion process in BuCor-operated penal facilities, Remulla said more than 2,000 carpetas or inmates’ records were delivered for review in the first 100 days of the Marcos administration.
“This is more than in the past three years,” he pointed out.
Last month, 371 inmates in the national penitentiary, Correctional Institute for Women and other BuCor-operated prisons gained their freedom after completing their sentences or having been pardoned or paroled. Included in the group were 45 senior citizens.
Remulla said the DOJ’s target is to free 5,000 deserving inmates by June 2023.
Another 318 names have been submitted to Malacanang for executive clemency through either Presidential parole, pardon or commutation of sentence.
