Saturday, April 22, 2006
30 inmates face transfer to national prisons facility
With the Cebu City government’s help, 30 insular prisoners of the Bagong Buhay Rehabilitation Center (BBRC) will be transferred to the New Bilibid Prisons in Muntinlupa City.
Around 150 are to be taken to the national prison facility, but the courts have given permission to only 30 so far.
“We are waiting for the formal request (for assistance) so that will still be early next month,” said City Councilor Augustus Pe Jr.
In an interview, he said BBRC Jail Warden Efren Nemeño recently visited Mayor Tomas Osmeña and asked for help.
The mayor agreed, Pe said, adding that as far as he can recall, this is the first time City Hall funded the transfer of insular prisoners.
Besides, the financial assistance of P3,000 per inmate is one way of helping decongest BBRC, Pe said.
BBRC is still profiling all inmates to see who among them were meted sentences of more than six years, which make them eligible for transfer to the New Bilibid Prisons.
Those serving a term of less than six years could apply for probation, or be given the chance to stay out of jail, as long as they comply with the requirements, which include seeing the probations officer at least once a month.
Pe said BBRC is really congested. When asked to describe the situation, he said the jail was built just for 250 inmates. The current population is at least 2,500, and the number is growing each day.
He acknowledged that no amount of good management will offset the fact that BBRC is overcrowded.
Inmates are occupying all vacant spaces, including the covered court, which is intended for sports activities.
The Bureau of Jail Management and Penology and the City are building a new facility in Barangay Kalunasan. Construction is expected to be completed by June this year.
Water, however, is a problem because it is hard to procure in the elevated area, where the compound for the new BBRC, the female dormitory, and Operation Second Chance, which is for minors, is situated. (RHM)
For Bisaya stories from Cebu. Click here. (April 22, 2006 issue)
Write letter to the editor.Click here.
Join the Sun.Star message board.Click here. |
