THE Department of Justice - Parole and Probation Administration in Davao Region (DOJ-PPA Davao Region) bared a total of 4,487 individuals who are under probation and supervision that were referred to their office for reformation from January to September 30.

DOJ-PPA Davao director Benjamin Cutay Jr. said in a press forum Monday, November 18, that these are probationers or dispose of solved cases alone who are undergoing rehabilitation to promote their development.

According to PPA, a probation is a privilege granted to a person who is convicted of a criminal offense to serve a punishment outside prison, subject to the conditions imposed by the sentencing court and to the supervision of the Probation and Parole Officer, while a parole refers to the conditional release of an offender from a correctional institution after serving the minimum period of the prison sentence.

He added that they also have a total number of 6,600 probation investigation from January to June this year to find out the petitioner’s legal qualifications and his suitability for probation based on their personality, character, antecedents, environment and other relevant information, including community resources which shall be utilized in the rehabilitation of the client.

PPA is the only community-based or non-institutionalized correction in the country while the institution correction has two. The first one is managed by the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP) and the other one is Bureau of Corrections like Davao Prison and Penal Farm, New Bilibid Prison, San Ramon Prison and Penal Farm, among others.

“Parol and Probation is the only community-based correction meaning to say that this agency is serving those who are placed criminal offenders on community correction,” Cutay said.

Those people who are placed under community corrections are people who are convicted and sentenced. The service of their sentence such as penalty and imprisonment has been suspended. These are convicted cases which have six years below of imprisonment. The second requirement is that their crimes committed are not against national security or public order, and the third one is that they are first time offenders. (JCR)