LA TRINIDAD, Benguet -- More arrests the
coming months will congest the municipal jail here, according to Senior Jail
Officer 4 John Melecio.
He said increase of
arrests caused 300 percent congestion, with almost half drug related cases.
Melecio said maximum
capacity of the cells is for 12 inmates but 55 are now cramped in each cell.
JO2 Ronnie Julian said
congestion could have been avoided if a drug rehabilitation center is in place
for drug related cases.
“Cases of inmates
take a long time to be resolved and more are being committed inside the jail
rather than those being freed,” added Julian.
The district jail
also lacks personnel. Ideally, a jail officer should be assigned to seven
inmates during hearings but because of congestion, jail personnel often escort
more than seven.
Earlier, the Bureau
of Jail Management and Penology in Benguet asked La Trinidad officials for a
lot for construction of a municipal jail.
Under the proposal,
the BJMP asked a 3,000 square meter lot to house the municipal jail that will
house inmates’ cells, administration office, kitchen, clinic,
recreation/livelihood area, and barracks of the personnel.
The bigger land area
is expected to provide enough space for the development programs of the jail
bureau including skills training, seminars, livelihood, health, sports, and
other activities geared towards personality enhancement and self-reliance.
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