What has been done:
We begin 2025 in a hopeful and positive note as our organization continues to develop other avenues to help Persons Deprived of Liberty obtain early release and become productive members of their community.
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.
Nine 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 3 CBB Participants from detention. All were released through bail. They join the 201 other CBB Participants that have been released, all of whom we are assisting towards community reintegration.
Last January 9 we took part in the Opening of Prison Doors at Quezon City Jail Male Dormitory. The activity formed part of the "Pilgrims of Hope" 2025 Jubilee of the Catholic Church.
Last January 11 we conducted a Day with My Family activity at the Bacoor City Jail Male Dormitory. The activity was a birthday celebration of Mr. RJ Limpo, PRESO Board Member.
We took part in two activities conducted by partner organizations providing jail services. IDEALS held a Round Table Discussion with Focus on Legal Remedies for Release last January 22. Mary Help of Christians Paranauqe conducted an Orientation Prison Ministry for Pastoral Leaders last January 21.
Weekly online values formation sessions for several BJMP Jails continue to be conducted with the support of Dr. Jean Rafanan and Bro. Emman Soabas. They also conducted a face to face formation activity at Paranaque City Jail Male Dormitory last January 26.
We attended the monthly service providers meeting at Manila City Jail Male Dormitory last January 4. We likewise met with ArkadisPH for the conduct of a Local Sparks Challenge Project to benefit released PDL.
We joined the Archdiocese of Novaliches in mourning the passing of Sr. Zenaida "Zeny" Cabrera who passed away last January 14. She was instrumental in the conduct of the Opening of Jail Doors activity at QCJ-MD last January 9. Her decades of advocacy for PDL will forever be cherished.
The BANDILA (Bagong Buhay ng Dating Inalisan ng Laya) Aftercare Program of the Manila City Jail Male Dormitory, which is being implemented with the Missionary Sisters of St. Columban and supported by PRESO, Inc. was formally launched last January 30. Prior to this, a series of coordination meetings with MCJ-MD Management and the MCJ-MD Visitors Association, and orientation sessions with PDL due for release from January-March 2025 were conducted.
As of January 31, there have been 509 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 262 had been interviewed. Of the interviewed, 149 had been successfully bailed out while another 55 had been released through other legal means.
More significantly, we have a total of 70 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 ₱ 4,664,780.00. 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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