BJMP pushes for law placing provincial jails under its control

The Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP) on Friday said that it supports the measure of lawmakers to place provincial jails under BJMP’s control, adding that this will streamline management of jails.

In a Laging Handa briefing on Friday, BJMP Spokesperson Xavier Solda said it is about time for provincial jails to have a standard management system.

“Ang nais po nating gawin, tulungan iyong ating mga provincial governors sa pagma-manage ng mga jail facilities nila na mag-extend ang BJMP ng karanasan kung papaano mas matutulungan pagdating sa reformation and rehabilitation programs. Pagdating sa records management, sa pag-strengthen ng security ng facility mahalagang factor po kasi ito,” he said.

(What we want to do is help our provincial governors in managing jail facilities with BJMP extending their experiences on how to help in terms of reformation and rehabilitation programs. When it comes to records management, [BJMP] can strengthen the security of the facility which is a valuable factor.)

The current law states that provincial governments have control over provincial and sub-provincial jails.

Earlier this week, the Senate Committee on Public Order and Dangerous Drugs approved a bill that will transfer the control of provincial and sub-provincial jails to the BJMP to establish a national standard in managing these facilities.

Senator Ronald M. dela Rosa, who heads the panel, said many provincial jails are in poor condition, with overcrowding and poor sanitation. — Gillian M. Cortez