A P40-MILLION jail facility will be constructed at the Metro Bacolod District Jail (MBDJ) Male Dormitory in Barangay Handumanan, Bacolod City.
Of the total allocated budget, P40 million was allocated for the construction of the four-storey jail facility that can accommodate 300 persons deprived of liberty (PDLs). It is situated at the back of the existing jail.
Senior Superintendent Joel Superficial, director of Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP) Western Visayas, who was in Bacolod City yesterday, June 27 for the groundbreaking, said the facility will address the problem of congestion of all jails in the region.
Joining Superficial in the groundbreaking rites are Bacolod City Representative Greg Gasataya, Department of Interior and Local Government-Bacolod director Maredith Madayag, MBDJ-male dormitory warden Senior Inspector Norberto Miciano and Bacolod City Executive Assistant Celestino Guara, who represented Mayor Evelio Leonardia.
Superficial said the four-storey facility is seen to lower the congestion rate to 100 to 150 percent. He added the congestion at the jail has reached 400 percent, with 777 PDLs.
Ideally, one cell can occupy 10 inmates but due to limited space in jails, they reached 60 inmates per cell.
The project is expected to be completed in 360 days.
Superficial said the same facility is also being eyed at MBDJ-Special Intensive Care Area (SICA) in Barangay Taculing but the lot has not yet been donated to the BJMP.
The new jail facility, which will accommodate PDLs with drug cases, has 31 cells, two infirmaries, and a visitation area. It covers 2,544 square meters. Its roof deck was supposed to be used for solar panels but due to the insufficiency of funds, it will be utilized as an office and laundry area.
“We want them to have a decent place to stay,” Superficial said.
For his part, Miciano said the new jail facility will also implement the “No touch policy,” wherein PDLs will only converse with their visitors through telephones. They will be separated through a fiberglass.
“This is a new approach on visitation procedures so we can monitor and prevent transactions on illegal activities,” Miciano added.
Miciano said: “the challenge is how the PDLs will accept this new approach, considering that this will be the first in the region.”
Gasataya said he will provide any help for the development of jails in the city and province.
Meanwhile, Miciano said they already received positive feedback from the Department of Health (DOH) regarding their proposal for an accreditation to utilize the facility as a drug rehabilitation center that can provide free services to PDLs.