ZCRC now pilot site of UNODC GCTA Calculator

ZAMBOANGA CITY — The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) will pilot the implementation of the Good Conduct Time Allowance (GCTA) Calculator at the Zamboanga City Reformatory Center-Male Dormitory (ZCRC-MD) aim to generate insight on the immediate impact of the use of the calculator.

Ian Niccolo V Tobia of UNODC-Prison Reform said yesterday that the UNODC chose the ZCRC-MD as the pilot site for implementing the GCTA Calculator in the country.

Tobia, a justice sector expert in crime prevention and criminal justice, said the ZCRC-MD is the first government office in the country to use the GCTA calculator.

He said personnel of ZCRC-MD have already undergone training on how to use  the system, hoping that with the use of the GCTA calculator there will be no more over staying Persons Deprived of Liberty (PDLs) in any jail facilities all over the country.

“We decided to pilot the implementation of GCTA Calculator at the ZCRC-MD because Zamboanga City is a Justice Zone area which is funded by the European Union  and  aims to improve access to justice for all Filipinos,” Tobia explained.

For his part, ZCRC-MD warden Jail Supt. Xavier Solda expressed elation after the facility was chosen as the pilot site of the GCTA Calculator.