It was here, at the very heart of incarceration’s shadow, that released PDLs found themselves once again gathered—not behind bars, but before new beginnings.

COMMUNITY BAIL BOND UPDATE 03 - 30 May

The Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP) has done something remarkable. From June 2024 to May 2025, it released some 68,000 Persons Deprived of Liberty (PDLs). That’s not a small feat. That’s not a statistic you sweep under the rug. That’s lives—68,000 stories unshackled, 68,000 families pieced together again, if only partially, if only painfully.

How do you stitch back a life unraveled, piece by piece, day by day? How do you find your footing when the world you knew has changed its rules, its rhythms, its face? How do you reclaim a family you left as children—now grown, with children of their own? How do you chase again the dreams that once waited patiently, only to grow old with you?

The journey of transformation continues for the participants of PRESO, Inc.’s flagship reintegration program, "Bukas Loob Tungo sa Bagong Pag-asa".

The partnership aims to empower law students and faculty members of SLU in identifying, assessing, and assisting qualified PDLs who may be released on bail under the CBB Program. PRESO, Inc. will provide capacity-building, risk assessment, and technical support, while SLU will handle field implementation and post-release monitoring.