COMMUNITY BAIL BOND UPDATE 03 - 30 May
- PRESO Inc.
- Jun 30
- 3 min read
What has been done:
May saw our organization seeking additional partnerships as we try to further expand our Community Bail Bond Program beyond NCR.
Our Program Field Officers continued with their regular activities that included conducting weekly monitoring/home visits of successfully released participants, providing guidance and updating the steps they are taking towards becoming productive members of their communities.
Nine of our CBB Participants had scheduled hearings for the period covered. Three hearings pushed through while the other eleven were postponed/reset for various reasons.
Our reintegration initiatives for released PDL or Persons Restored of Liberty (PRL) took a significant leap forward as we launched the "Bukas Loob Tungo sa Bagong Pag-Asa" project with the support of the MDRT Foundation. The launching activity and first session was held last May 16.
We joined the CBCP-ECPPC in the Opening of Prisons Doors at Bacoor City Jail Male Dormitory last May 19. This continues the series of jail visitations as part of the "Pilgrims of Hope" Jubilee 2025.
Last May 23 our partners from ArkadisPH continued with their Local Sparks Challenge Project supporting the PPA's Leap Program for probationers.
Our partners, Dr. Jean Rafanan and Bro. Emman Soabas of the Commission on Biblical Apostolate continued with their weekly virtual values formation sessions at selected BJMP Jails.
As of May 23, there have been 521 individuals referred to our program coming from 24 city jail facilities, 2 provincial jail facilities, 17 police stations, 3 youth centers, 3 correctional facilities, and 3 national agencies. Of this number 267 had been interviewed. Of the interviewed, 153 had been successfully bailed out while another 55 had been released through other legal means.
More significantly, we have a total of 82 CBB Participants who have successfully graduated from the CBB Program. We consider participants as having successfully graduated from the Program after their cases have been closed, and at least another six months of monitoring have elapsed. Throughout this period, they must have shown to be responsible members of their community and can lead productive lives.
With their release, the government has now saved ₱ 5,311,420.00. This is computed by adding the amount budgeted per day (PhP70 for food) per PDL multiplied by the number of days since the day of the release from jail of every individual Participant. These savings will increase as days go by and as long as their cases are not terminated. For those whose cases are dismissed, served early or whose probation was approved, we expect a savings of least 60 days of non-incarceration.
Additionally, on top of the food savings by the government, these individuals are now back to the community and actively engaged in their livelihood- hence contributing to the economy. We minimized their exposure to the criminogenic jail environment leading to better reentry to the society as responsible members.
As we forge ahead with our Community Bail Bond Program, we continue to learn and re-learn approaches and procedures. And this is a welcome experience for us. We envision that more PDLs and CICLs would be assisted soon with their liberties restored, their dignity regained and that their lives are eventually rebuilt. We as a community have a significant role in all these. In the long run, support for our prisons and prisoners as a whole would benefit all of society in terms of lower rates of recidivism and increased sense of public safety. GOD IS ON OUR SIDE!
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