IN A bid to improve the living conditions of persons deprived of liberty in La Trinidad, the Municipal Council is set to increase the annual budget for its jail at P1.6 million.
Senior Jail officer IV John Melecio said the jail noted 300 percent increase of inmates from January 2016 to this year.
Melecio said the maximum capacity of the cells is for 12 inmates but 44 are currently cramped in each cell.
Aside from congestion, the district jail is also beset with the lack of personnel. Ideally, a jail officer should be assigned to seven inmates during hearings but because of congestion, jail personnel often escort more than seven.
In 2016, the municipal jail was able to receive P560,000 and in 2017, their budget from the town increased to P635,000.
For 2018, maintenance and other Operating Expenses have a huge part in the said budget, of which the allocated funds be spent on the jail's activities and necessities.
The National Government allots P60 per inmates as sustenance allowance for the La Trinidad Jail.
"The inmates are involve in several livelihood program that include frame making, wielding, the money earned from it goes directly through the inmates and serves as their future livelihood," said Melecio.
Melecio, during Tuesday's council session, said that they expect the increase of inmates with the declaration of President Rodrigo Duterte bringing back the Philippine National Police in the anti-illegal drug operations.
He said most of the inmates are involved in drug-related cases, while others are involved in rape cases.