The Iligan City Jail–Male Dormitory (ICJMD) marked National Public Library Day by highlighting the impact of its reading-based rehabilitation initiative and calling on the public to support the facility’s library programs.

City Jail Warden JCINSP Carmelo A. Corsame said books and education play an important role in helping persons deprived of liberty (PDLs) rebuild their lives while serving their sentences.

“Education is a powerful tool for transformation. These books will not only enrich the minds of our PDLs but also inspire them to see beyond the walls of confinement. We encourage the public to continue supporting our library initiatives through book donations, so we can expand opportunities for learning and personal growth,” Corsame said.

The jail’s Read Your Way-Out (RYWO) Project, launched in May 2024, promotes structured reading activities that allow PDLs to qualify for sentence reduction under the Time Allowance for Studying, Teaching, and Mentoring (TASTM) provision.

Before the program began, only an average of seven PDLs qualified monthly for sentence credits. After its implementation, the number rose to 148, with more than 100 inmates regularly participating in reading sessions.

From May 2024 to April 2025, 24 PDLs were released after earning credits through the program, followed by 38 more in the succeeding months, according to jail officials.

The program’s results were also presented during the Philippine Librarians’ Association Inc. (PLAI) Annual Congress last November, where Jail Officers Walter W. Mainit Jr. and Gerard Vouz P. Tagaro shared their study titled “Reading in Jail: A Gateway to Personal Development and Reduced Sentences.”

The initiative recently received additional support from the National Museum of the Philippines, which donated 460 books covering Philippine art, culture, history, archaeology, natural sciences and heritage literature to the facility’s library.

Corsame said the program demonstrates how education can support rehabilitation and reintegration.

“Our PDLs are reclaiming their futures,” he said.

ICJMD is encouraging individuals, schools and organizations to donate educational, cultural and literary materials to help expand the jail’s growing library collection and provide more opportunities for learning among PDLs.