The Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) over the weekend said a total of 85,183 persons deprived of liberty (PDLs) have been released nationwide from June 2024 to May 2025 through the strengthened paralegal services of the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP).

According to the DILG, the BJMP paralegal program is a key intervention aimed at addressing jail congestion, helping qualified PDLs gain timely access to legal remedies for early release.

Based on BJMP’s report, 11,139 PDLs were granted Good Conduct Time Allowance, 8,280 were released on probation, 23 on parole and 8,825 on bail.

Some 15,085 PDLs were also transferred to other facilities such as the Bureau of Corrections, provincial jails, drug treatment centers, and youth detention facilities in order to ensure proper custodial management.

Meanwhile, 5,667 cases were permanently dismissed, while 6,342 were provisionally dismissed. A total of 7,431 PDLs were acquitted, and 16,311 were released after fully serving their sentence.

Another 340 were required to perform community service in lieu of imprisonment, while 3,570 were released on recognizance.

To support ongoing decongestion efforts, the BJMP is also constructing 43 new jail buildings nationwide, including perimeter fences and standardized functional areas to improve overall detention conditions.