What has been done:
For the month of February 2024, our Community Bail Bond Program continues to provide low criminogenic risk PDL with an avenue for early release. 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.
Twelve of our CBB Participants had scheduled hearings for the period covered. Five of these pushed through while the rest, however, were postponed/reset for various reasons.
For this period, we were able to successfully release 3 CBB Participants from detention. Two were successfully released through bail while one was granted permanent dismissal after we assisted in obtaining an affidavit of desistance from his complainant. They join the 159 other CBB Participants that have been released, all of whom we are assisting towards community reintegration.
Last February 9, PRESO, Inc. held its Annual Membership Meeting, led by its President, Commissioner Rene Sarmiento. The meeting served to assess the ongoing programs and activities of the organization. A call for policy reform on bail, enhancing administrative capacity and trainings were also strongly recommended.
Last February 28 we conducted a belated Valentine’s Gift Giving activity for PDL detained at the MMDJ Annex 6 Satellite Treatment Center. Food packs and hygiene kits were distributed to male and female PDL.
As of March 1, there have been 436 individuals referred to our program coming from 18 jail facilities, 7 police stations, 3 youth centers, and 3 correctional facilities. Of this number 222 had been interviewed. Of the interviewed, 110 had been successfully bailed out while another 52 had been released through other legal means.
More significantly, we have a total of 42 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 3,233,850.00. 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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