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Department of Justice (DOJ) Secretary Jesus Crispin C. Remulla on Tuesday, Oct. 12, expressed hopes to build regional prison facilities in the next three to four years “to humanize the prison system.”
During a press conference, Remulla said regionalized prisons would enable families to visit more often their kins who are persons deprived of liberty (PDLs).
“The problem with the prison system now is that it is a mega prison and it does not bode well for persons who should be treated individually as is the practice now in prison reform,” he pointed out.
“We have a big problem in the New Bilibid Prison (in Muntinlupa City), 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,” he 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 also said.
The DOJ, Remulla said, has been in discussion with the Department of Public Works and Highways on the design of the regional prisons.
“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.
Earlier, Remulla had said the prison facilities managed by the Bureau of Corrections have 330 percent congestions.
He cited that the NBP houses more than 28,900 PDLs. When NBP was constructed, its capacity was only for 6,000 inmates, he added.
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