AN ADDITIONAL number of paralegal volunteers to be assigned in detention center is seen as one of the solutions to the jail congestion problem, an official of the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology in Northern Mindanao said.
Jail Chief Inspector Nestor Caber, BJMP-Northern Mindanao chief Community Relations Services and Media Affairs Officer, said the paralegals can provide the manpower to assist those imprisoned for a period equal to or longer than the penalty imposed for the offenses of which they were charged.
"Wala gayud ta nakita nga immediate solution sa jail decongestion kundi ang pag-add sa number sa atong paralegals kay sila man gud makatabang ug follow-up sa mga cases nga na-pending sa court," Caber said.
Presently, the BJMP-Northern Mindanao has only four paralegals to assist lawyers in the cases of some 1,000 prisoners if only to fast-track the hearing of their cases.
Caber said the paralegal volunteers came from religious groups and some law schools here.
"We admit nga ang congestion dili ma-solve in our own level. Dili pa gane mapugngan ang paglobo sa population kay tungod lage sa war on drugs sa gobyerno, daghan apprehensions. And mudawat raman gyud mi, we cannot refuse, of course," he said.
Caber said more cell constructions could also solve the congestion, though additional infrastructure would only depend with the budget allotted by the National Government.
"Karon naa man gi-construct nga more or less 4 or 5 cells pero we don't really know how far pud kini mo-go on since depende man gihapon sa atong budget," Caber said.
From June 30 to August 26, the number of inmates at the jail has risen by 584 percent, bringing the total number of inmates for the jail built for 253 people at 1,801 prisoners' cases.
Caber said inmates with drug-related cases constitute the largest number in the population with 1,237 inmates or 68 percent of the entire population.
"We urge more support from the local government units, the religious groups nga padayon mutabang sa ato ug mo-assist to somehow provide relief sa atong mga inmates," he said.