Injustice anywhere is injustice everywhere. This is RAYMUND NARAG’s, our living hero in this time of Pandemic, compeling reason to move, which birthed his statement of commitment. Raymund has been advocating for the release of the Persons Deprived of Liberty (PDLs) especially those who are old, sickly and low risk. He initiated Laptops and IPads for Telehearings to accommodate all the court hearings scheduled in a day, and Community Bail Bond Project to assist the release of low-risk PDLS who were charged with menial offenses. Through the Supreme Court, there are now at least 10,000 PDLs released, which Raymund advocated through these mechanisms.
The Philippines has the most crowded jail and prison system in the world, unfortunately. Our congestion rate is 520 percent that means, a cell designed for 1 actually has 5 people in it. Thus, we cannot observe social distancing which is a key protocol to mitigate the spread of Covid19.
Raymund’s 20-year advocacy is backed by his commitment on continuing the fight for a better criminal justice system which will redound back to all Filipinos. When asked how he start working with PDLs, Raymund quoted, “I started when I was released from jail. Yes, I was once accused of a crime I did not commit. I languished in jails for almost 7 years, only to be acquitted and declared innocent of all the charges. Having seen first-hand the consequences of prolonged trial detention and prison crowding, I had been advocating for changes. Upon my release, I wrote a book about my experiences, where I documented what I had seen in the jail. I discussed the issue of jail governance and the myriad ways inmates devised to address their situations. I eventually got a scholarship in the United States and pursued a PhD in Criminal Justice. Since then, I studied correctional and criminal justice systems all over the world, trying to understand what can be utilized for improvement in the Philippines.”
JAAF’s #LivingHero Raymund hopes to introduce best practices in the Philippine criminal justice and correctional systems. Firstly, how to make our slow justice system speedier which could be done by addressing structural, organizational and cultural deficits that afflict our courts, prosecution and defense lawyer systems. To him, structural change entails addressing the lack of personnel, facilities and space. Organizational change, on one hand, entails introducing mechanisms for coordination and integration of systems. Cultural change entails changing the mindset of judges, prosecutors and defense lawyers that lead to delay of cases. Second concern is how to make our correctional system more effective. To JAAF #LivingHero Raymund, this could be done by introducing mechanisms to classify the PDLs, mechanism for programming and housing them, and documentation and assessments of their behaviors.
It had been a slow process but there are now innovations introduced by the courts and correctional systems to address the proposed changes. For example, the Supreme Court introduced the online bail and telehearings as a mechanism to speed up the trial process. Some jails and prisons also now utilize the risk assessment tools that Raymund developed.
Some of the projects JAAF #LivingHero Raymund has done in the past included introduction of the Simplified Inmates Record System (SIRS), a data management tool for records keeping, and the Detainees Notebook, a mechanism for self-monitoring of cases. The Supreme Court also utilized the Task force Katarungan at Kalayaan program where judges, jails and defense lawyers work collaboratively.
On inspirations, Raymund’s include Nelson Mandela’s “Long Walk to Freedom”. He added, “I also read the life Jose Rizal, our national hero and his visions for our country. Ninoy Aquino also said that the Filipino is worth dying for. Of course, I believe in Jesus Christ and he says that we must visit our jails and prisons.” People support his advocacy. One is PRESO Foundation, an NGO, who helped solicit money from friends and used it to post bail. He also uses crowd-funding to support the organizations he partners with. Raymund inspires volunteers who do the actual work in the field. In fact, there are many young lawyers who partner with their advocacy.
When asked on what motivates him, Raymund shares: “When I was an inmate, I prayed to God that if He releases me from incarceration, I shall be the spokesperson of the downtrodden and the forgotten. I believe that there was I reason He put me in jail, despite my innocence, and there was a reason He plucked me out. I continue this advocacy because I believe that there are many people in jail and who are similarly situated as I was. I hope to serve as their inspiration—that there is still a life ahead of them after their incarceration. “
Raymund Narag. Philippine Criminal Justice and Correctional Systems advocate. Author. Writer. Criminology and Criminal Justice Professor at Southern Illinois University, USA. Motivational Speaker. A University of the Philippines Diliman graduate, with a PhD from Michigan State University as a Fullbright Scholar. Regularly goes home to the Philippines to conduct trainings and research for the criminal justice actors such as police, jail, court and parole officers. Mentor to NGO staff and volunteers. JAAF #LivingHero.
Originally posted on J. Amado Araneta Foundation's Facebook Page, May 27, 2020
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