What has been done:
It has been four months since the launch of our Community Bail Bond (CBB) Program and we have somehow generated a positive consciousness among Persons Deprived of Liberty (PDL), the jail authorities, the Courts and our public defenders.
From the period of 15 August to 18 September 2020, we conducted our first of hopefully a series of online Round Table Discussions (RTD) with concerned selected agencies whose major tasks are directly involved in developing policy guidelines toward the speedy resolution of cases for PDL and Children in Conflict with the Law (CICL) in the country.
Our first RTD, co-facilitated with IDEALS, our partner-organization, was participated by duly designated representatives from the DILG, DOJ, PAO, and BJMP. The group tackled five discussion points that were barriers affecting the speedy resolution of PDL cases. We shall be submitting position papers based on what were discussed in an effort to push for more appropriate policies and more responsive measures.
Post-release interventions for our Participants continued with our weekly monitoring of their situation upon returning to their families and communities. Our Program Field Officers accompanied all of these Participants in their respective first court hearings since release. Some Judges have started physical hearings at their respective courts while some have opted for online telehearings. Our partners in IDEALS were gracious enough to offer their office as a venue for these virtual court hearings.
Through our partnership with El Proveedores Foundation, four (4) of our CBB Participants were given capital loan assistance that enabled them to start small business ventures as a source of income for their families. Medical assistance was likewise provided for the sick child of one of our Participants and childbirth assistance was given to the live-in partner of another just in time for birth of their baby boy. Two other CBB Participants are scheduled for psychological counseling to help address their mental health needs.
Through the generosity of our PRESO Inc. supporters, we were also able to continue with providing crisis intervention assistance for our CBB Participants who are experiencing great difficulty in this time of pandemic. We were also able to donate laptops to three (3) Bahay Pag-Asa or Centers namely Valenzuela, Pasig and Navotas. These facilities house Children-in-Conflict with the Law (CICL). They referred to us a list of cases that need priority assistance thru bail and/or other modes of release. We
hope that these laptops could help boost the efficiency of these Centers.
This period also saw activation of the PRESO Community Bail Bond Philippines official Website. Through this we hope to bring our program to the attention of more people throughout the world.
As of Sept 18, there have been 131 individuals referred to our program coming from 6 jail facilities, 2 police stations and 3 youth centers of whom, 53 had been interviewed. Of the interviewed, 14 had been successfully bailed out, 8 had their cases dismissed, one had served sentence, 2 was successfully referred to probation, and one was released on recognizance. The rest are still in jail hoping to be granted early release. Of the 26 released, 25 had been reintegrated to their respective families and communities.
Through our CBB program, the government has now saved PhP 122,640.00 as of Sept 18, 2020. This is computed by adding the amount budgeted per day (PhP70 for food) 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.
More importantly, we reduced jail crowding which is one of the major issues that is faced by our correctional facilities, especially in the time of the COVID19 pandemic.
Finally, we minimized their exposure to the criminogenic jail environment leading to better reentry to the society as responsible members.
But this is just the beginning. We envision that more PDLs and CICLs would be referred to our program soon and that they will be restored to their liberties, 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.
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