Bicol Saro Party-list Rep. Brian Raymund Yamsuan 

Amid the overpopulation of penal and detention facilities, a congressman has suggested providing appropriate interventions to persons deprived of liberty (PDLs) to prevent them from becoming repeat offenders. 

In a statement, Bicol Saro Party-list Rep. Brian Raymund Yamsuan cited the efforts of the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP) to decongest detention facilities. 

“The BJMP’s jail decongestion initiatives not only involve speeding up the necessary legal processes to free PDLs eligible for release, but also rehabilitation programs that provide them with job and livelihood opportunities to help them return back to society as productive individuals,” said Yamsuan. 

In the first ten months of 2023, the BJMP has released 74,590 PDLs. 

This has lowered the congestion rate from 281 percent in January to 238 percent in October. 

According to Yamsuan, the BJMP assists PDLs in accessing legal and paralegal services, alongside encouraging tie-ups with tertiary educational institutions through its College Education Behind Bars (CEBB). 

In coordination with the Department of Education (DepEd), an alternative learning system was implemented inside jails. This includes providing PDLs with training on employable skills.

Yamsuan said the BJMP has also spurred artistically-inclined PDLs to showcase their creative talents through artworks and handicrafts to boost their morale and help them earn money that they can send to their families. 

“Through these initiatives, the BJMP is able to prevent recidivism among the PDLs under its care. By breaking the cycle of reoffending through appropriate rehabilitation programs, the BJMP was able to make significant headway in its jail decongestion efforts,” he noted. 

Yamsuan, who has long been pushing for reforms in the country’s correctional system, pointed out that more than 20,000 PDLs end up as repffenders as a result of inappropriate interventions provided to them while in jail. 

“One way to prevent recidivism is to help PDLs find jobs once they are up for release so that they can be productive. They would think twice before going back to their criminal past if they have decent jobs,” he said. --Dexter Barro II