NORTH COTABATO (Carlos Bautista / 12 Jan) The North Cotabato Provincial Peace and Order Council has endorsed the “prison without walls” program of Gov. Emmanuel Piñol as a solution to the congestion problem now plaguing the North Cotabato Provincial Jail.
Gov. Piñol formally presented the program at the PPOC’s initial meeting for 2006 held Thursday at the provincial capitol after initially discussing it with the Sangguniang Panlalawigan in a meeting last week.
“The idea is to provide cottages in an area within the provincial capitol compound where low-risk inmates can stay and do productive work while awaiting the resolution of their cases, “Gov. Piñol said.
“They can work at the provincial rubber seedling nursery that we will set up within the capitol compound, or in the pomelo and mango orchards that the provincial government is maintaining in the area, and get paid whatever is due them under the law,” he added.
Gov. Piñol thought of putting up the “prison without walls” after the International Committee of the Red Cross raised concerns over the overpopulation of inmates at the provincial jail. More than 750 prisoners currently occupy the provincial jail which is built to accommodate only 300 inmates.
Gov. Piñol formally presented the program at the PPOC’s initial meeting for 2006 held Thursday at the provincial capitol after initially discussing it with the Sangguniang Panlalawigan in a meeting last week.
“The idea is to provide cottages in an area within the provincial capitol compound where low-risk inmates can stay and do productive work while awaiting the resolution of their cases, “Gov. Piñol said.
“They can work at the provincial rubber seedling nursery that we will set up within the capitol compound, or in the pomelo and mango orchards that the provincial government is maintaining in the area, and get paid whatever is due them under the law,” he added.
Gov. Piñol thought of putting up the “prison without walls” after the International Committee of the Red Cross raised concerns over the overpopulation of inmates at the provincial jail. More than 750 prisoners currently occupy the provincial jail which is built to accommodate only 300 inmates.
Under the program, low-risk prisoners will be housed in a minimally guarded compound with separate cottages for adult male and female inmates as well as minor offenders. In addition to livelihood opportunities, special classes and non-formal education courses would be provided for women and youth offenders.
A special committee composed of representatives from the Provincial Government, Courts, Provincial Prosecution Office, the Philippine National Police and the Public Attorney’s Office will be set up to review the cases of the inmates who may qualify for the program.
“We envision this ‘prison without walls’ to be a community of hope, a correctional facility to help and process the inmates in their re-integration to mainstream society,” Gov. Piñol said.
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