The Bureau of Corrections (BuCor) announced on Monday, Nov. 18, that it has completed the digitization of its carpeta or the prison records of all persons deprived of liberty (PDLs).
The digitization of prison records will facilitate the monitoring of the status of PDLs to determine eligibility for early release; calculating or reviewing credits for preventive imprisonment (CP) and time allowances for PDLs; maintaining health information for PDLs, which can be crucial in emergencies; and utilizing biometric data and other personal identifiers for PDL identification.
In a statement, the BuCor said that during the visit of European Union (EU) Ambassador to the Philippines Massimo Santoro, BuCor Director General Gregorio Pio P. Catapang Jr. “showcased the OneBuCor Portal's Inmate Management Information System, a thorough and centralized platform for overseeing the Bureau of Corrections' operations.”
“This system features various components such as the Document Tracking System, Human Resource Management Information System under the Administrative Information System, and includes aspects of Procurement, Delivery, Issuance, and Inventory within the Logistics Information System, along with comprehensive management of PDL records through the Inmate Management Information System,” it said.
During the envoy’s visit, the bureau said Santoro donated seven scanners and seven laptops worth P12 million that will be used in the digitization of PDL records.
“The ICT equipment will be allocated to seven operational prisons and penal farms across the nation, including New Bilibid Prison in Muntinlupa City, Iwahig Prison and Penal Farm in Puerto Princesa City, Palawan, Sablayan Prison and Penal Farm in Occidental Mindoro, San Ramon Prison and Penal Farm in Occidental Mindoro, and Leyte Regional Prison in Abuyog, Leyte,” the BuCor said.
“The EU has consistently supported governance and justice initiatives in the Philippines since the early 2000s,” it also said.