Parole And Probation Administration Saves Over P1-Million In 1Q

PAGADIAN CITY – More than one million pesos has been saved by the government from the Parole and Probation Administration in Western Mindanao for the first quarter of this year, officials said.

Officials said the savings came mostly from the prisoners’ maintenance funding. One of the major goals in the institutionalization of the parole and probation systems in the country is to provide a less costly alternative to the imprisonment of offenders who are likely to respond to individualized community based treatment program.

With a client base of 1,368, the Parole and Probation Administration saves for the government a total of P1,117,630.98 and the amount would have been spent for the prisoner’s basic needs had these probationers, parolees and those who have been pardoned been detained or imprisoned from January to March 2007.

The quarter maintenance cost if they had been inside jails, colonies, prison farms would have been about 4,377,600 at P40 prisoner’s daily per capita maintenance.

The Parole and Probation Administration Regional Operations for the first quarter amounted only to P3, 259,969.

Unquantifiable in terms of clientele earnings and the resultant community peace and order through client’s positive transformations could possibly translate into huge significant savings for the government.

Not to mention the invaluable human resources redeemed and the social cost of traumatized dependents affected by the crime. These clients became tax payers as they indulged into income earning activities rather than tax eaters had they been placed behind bars. (Alyssa May Zuasola)