What has been done:
For the month of July our Community Bail Bond Program continued to reach more PDL who deserve to be released from detention. Our Program Field Officers continued with their regular activities that included conducting weekly monitoring/home visits of successfully released participants, providing guidance and updating the steps they are taking towards becoming productive members of their communities.
Aside from the weekly monitoring of our released Participants, our Program Field Officers likewise were unfailing in conducting initial home and barangay visits for applicants, coordinating with barangay officials & PAO lawyers, and the processing of bail for CBB Applicants.
Seventeen of our CBB Participants had scheduled hearings for the period covered. Nine hearings pushed through while the other seven were postponed/reset for various reasons.
For this period, we were able to successfully release 5 CBB Participants from detention. All were released through bail. They join the 173 other CBB Participants that have been released, all of whom we are assisting towards community reintegration.
For the period we continued strengthening our engagements with our partners. Last June 1, we met with the Coalition Against Death Penalty (CADP) for their planning session. Last June 4 & 5, we took part in orientation sessions with CIVY for their Work Anywhere Master Course.
Weekly online values formation sessions for selected jail continue to be conducted by our CBCP-ECBA partner.
We took part in the service providers meeting at Quezon City Jail Male Dorm Payatas last June 12 and we donated essential equipment for two jails last June 13 and June 15 respectively.
Last June 3, our Executive Director, Ms. Tess Gomez served as Guest Speaker during the celebration of Community Relations Service Month at Bacoor City Jail Male Dorm.
Ms. Gomez likewise represented PRESO, Inc. during the two-day Philippine Human Rights Plan Regional Consultation last July 20 & 21.
Last June 21, the BJMP NCRO Welfare and Development Section held their regular service providers gathering where we presented our reintegration efforts under of CBB Program.
Last July 25-27, we facilitated the conduct of a 3-day Training on the Principles of Effective Jail Management and the Establishment of PDL Assessment and Classification at the Quezon City Jail Male Dorm Payatas.
For the month of July, our Chief Consultant, Dr. Raymund Narag continued his engagements with agencies within the criminal justice system.
As of July 5, there have been 461 individuals referred to our program coming from 24 city jail facilities, 2 provincial jail facilities, 17 police stations, 3 youth centers, 3 correctional facilities, and 3 national agencies. Of this number 240 had been interviewed. Of the interviewed, 124 had been successfully bailed out while another 54 had been released through other legal means.
More significantly, we have a total of 53 CBB Participants who have successfully graduated from the CBB Program. We consider participants as having successfully graduated from the Program after their cases have been closed, and at least another six months of monitoring have elapsed. Throughout this period, they must have shown to be responsible members of their community and can lead productive lives.
With their release, the government has now saved Php 3,784,180.00. This is computed by adding the amount budgeted per day (PhP70 for food) per PDL multiplied by the number of days since the day of the release from jail of every individual Participant. These savings will increase as days go by and as long as their cases are not terminated. For those whose cases are dismissed, served early or whose probation was approved, we expect a savings of least 60 days of non-incarceration.
Additionally, on top of the food savings by the government, these individuals are now back to the community and actively engaged in their livelihood- hence contributing to the economy. We minimized their exposure to the criminogenic jail environment leading to better reentry to the society as responsible members.
As we forge ahead with our Community Bail Bond Program, we continue to learn and re-learn approaches and procedures. And this is a welcome experience for us. We envision that more PDLs and CICLs would be assisted soon with their liberties restored, their dignity regained and that their lives are eventually rebuilt. We as a community have a significant role in all these. In the long run, support for our prisons and prisoners as a whole would benefit all of society in terms of lower rates of recidivism and increased sense of public safety. GOD IS ON OUR SIDE!
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