Dear friends:
I am continuing the program COMMUNITY BAIL FUND INITIATIVE IN TIME OF COVID19 CRISIS. The goal is to help our jail agencies to decongest the jail to mitigate the dreadful spread of COVID19 among the Persons Deprived of Liberty (PDL). Our goal is to identify bailable low risk PDLs, file motions for reduction of their bail, and post the bail amount. Specifically, we target individuals with bail as low as PhP2,000 (US$40.00) and charged with very simple/menial offenses, such as gambling in the streets, but contribute greatly to jail congestion.
Priority are the first time and low risk offenders, old and sickly, and those with family members who are willing and capable to accept them upon release.
Additionally, when released, a community of jail volunteers, spearheaded by the long-running organization, the PRESO Foundation, will get their names, addresses, and contact information for future monitoring and supervision. If applicable, they will also be referred to appropriate treatment and housing services and employment opportunities.
In particular, we refer them to the El Proveedores Foundation for livelihood assistance and to the Isaiah 61:1 for spiritual mentoring and uplistment. They will also be made sure that they will attend hearings and will not engage in any offense. This supervision component is included to avert concerns for re-offending, jumping bail, and public safety.
We expanded the program to the entire Metro Manila area. We believe that this intervention will be received with disdain and consternation among individuals who believe that "criminals" need to be locked up. However, please remember that most of these human beings are pretrial detainees, constitutionally presumed innocent, and could have been released should they have the money to post bail.
Additionally, this program will be cost-beneficial to the government. By posting their bail, the government saves money for food, medicines and security of the PDLs. You may not know it but we spend twice as much for one PDL who stayed in jail for a year than one university student for two semesters of education. Specifically, for every 1 PDL bailed out with PhP. 2,000 bail, the government will save PhP25,555 computed as PhP70 per day for food times 365 days. That is for food budget alone.
But more importantly, by stemming the widespread contagion in our jail facilities, I believe, will redound to the benefit of everyone in the community. Because if our jails are infected, our communities will eventually be at stake.
Please join me in this call. Help us post bail to our fellow Filipinos. Help us decongest our jails. Help us beat Covid19.
If interested to help and be a partner for this noble cause, please contact me or Tessie Gomez, the Executive Director of the PRESO Foundation.
For every PhP2000 bail, you save our government Ph 23,000.
Current updates:
We have now released 9 individuals on bail, 10 on dismissal, and 1 on probation. After two months of implementation, we now have helped the government save at least PhP 60,000.00.... The total money we used for bail is around PhP 50,000 which all came from donations.
Comments