What has been done:
For the month of June our Community Bail Bond Program continued to reach more PDL who deserve to be released from detention even as we explored engagements with like-minded individuals and organizations towards more reintegration programs for released PDL. 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 hearings pushed through while the other seven were postponed/reset for various reasons.
For this period, we were able to successfully release 4 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 partnerships with our partners. Last May 6, we met with the Couples for Christ-Isaiah and attended the regular Service Providers meeting with the Warden of Navotas City Jail Male Dorm.
Last May 13, our Chief Consultant, Dr. Raymund Narag, and our CBB Supervising Program Officer, Derek Santos, met with the management of Manila City Jail Male Dorm to catch up on ongoing initiatives being implemented at the facility.
Dr. Narag was joined by the entire PRESO CBB Team last May 18 for a courtesy call and ocular inspection of the New Quezon City Jail Male Dorm Payatas. PRESO, Inc. committed to help Supt. Warren Geeronimo, City Jail Warden, in ensuring that the facility lives up to its potential as a showcase of PDL Management in the country.
We assisted two organizations in conducting jail visitation and weekly values formation activities at selected jails.
Our Chief Consultant, Dr. Raymund Narag was back in the country for the next couple of months. His continued his engagements with agencies within the criminal justice system.
As of May 31, there have been 464 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 234 had been interviewed. Of the interviewed, 119 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 3,619,380.00. 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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