PH jails straight from ‘Dante’s Purgatory’

“There is a relentless and constant battle for space, water, food in an unhygienic facility, which can be seen in almost all the jails in the country.”

Senator Richard Gordon yesterday called on the government to improve the living conditions inside all detention facilities across the country.

The senator noted that the Philippine penal system has been ranked as the third most congested in the world by the University of London’s Institute for Criminal Policy Research.

“The Human Rights Watch has also criticized our jails as straight from Dante’s Purgatory. Unfortunately, this is quite true,” said Gordon.

“The Philippine Red Cross, having scoured the country, found out that jails and detention facilities all over the Philippines are massively overcrowded and lacked sanitary facilities,” said Gordon.

Gordon, chairman of the Senate Committee on Justice and Human Rights, said that the government must ensure space and proper ventilation in jails and detention facilities noting the current very poor conditions.

“There is a relentless and constant battle for space, water, food in an unhygienic facility, which can be seen in almost all the jails in the country,” he added.

Gordon has been leading the Philippine Red Cross for years.

Data from the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP) showed that an average of six inmates occupy a space of 4.7 square meters, which is intended for one prisoner.

Philippine detention facilities are 600 percent congested, according to one report.

Gordon noted that in some jails, inmates take turns sleeping on basketball courts, chapels, walkways or staircases, while in some jails, inmates search for corners to squat against as they sleep.

Gordon said that due to the lack of ventilation in the jails, inmates easily contract air-borne diseases like tuberculosis. Inmates also suffer from rashes and boils because of the lack of ventilation and water.

“The unbearable living condition inside the jails is made even worse for the inmates by the prospect that it could be years before their cases are decided and many of them are not eligible for bail or they cannot afford to pay the bond,” he said.

Gordon also pointed to the need for government to provide health and paralegal services, especially for poor detainees.

The high congestion rate of detention facilities has prompted Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Director General Oscar Albayalde to call on local government units to help in improving jail facilities within their respective jurisdictions.

The PNP also called for speedy dispensation of cases by the courts to relieve police stations of detainees.