28 Leyte inmates now free

PALO, Leyte — At least 28 inmates from different facilities in Leyte were released on good conduct last 28 December at the Leyte Provincial Jail to be with their families ahead of the New Year celebrations.

Public Attorney's Office regional director Vevelyn Mosanto disclosed that the 28 inmates qualified for the good conduct time allowance after a thorough deliberation of a management screening and evaluation committee composed of wardens of different jail facilities and representatives from PAO, Parole and Probation Authority and the Department of Social Welfare and Development.

Signed into law on 29 May, 2013, Republic Act 10592 or the GCTA law allows for a reduction of sentences of persons deprived of liberty who demonstrated good behavior while inside prison facilities.

In the first two years of imprisonment, 20 days will be deducted from the total sentence for each month of good behavior, 23 days per month in the third to fifth year, and 25 days for each month of good behavior in the sixth to tenth year.

Mosanto said 70 PDLs were released this year alone in Leyte due to good conduct while over 200 have been set free for availing the privilege since the law took effect.

She added that the privilege covers all persons deprived of liberty except those involved in specific heinous crimes that were "grievous, odious, and hateful" characterized by "wickedness, viciousness, atrocity and perversity" considered to be "repugnant and outrageous to the common standards, and norms of decency and morality."