COMMUNITY BAIL BOND UPDATE 29 MARCH - 02 MAY 2025
- PRESO Inc.
- Jun 13
- 3 min read
What has been done:
The month of April saw our organization further exploring new initiatives with partner groups aimed at helping released Persons Deprived of Liberty in their path towards reintegration.
Our Community Bail Bond Program continued to reach more PDL who deserve to be released from detention. 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.
Fifteen 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.
For this period, we were able to successfully release one CBB Participants from detention. He was released through bail and joins the 207 other CBB Participants that have been released, all of whom we are assisting towards community reintegration.
We were privileged to join our partner, El Proveedores Foundation in their 10th Anniversary celebration.
We joined the CBCP-ECPPC in the Opening of Prisons Doors at the Manila City Jail Male Dormitory last April 11. This continues the series of jail visitations as part of the "Pilgrims of Hope" Jubilee 2025.
We assisted our partner organization, CIVY in conducting their first virtual assistance digital training for PDL. Our thanks to the Bacoor City Jail Male Dormitory and their warden, JSUPT CHRISTOPHER R PENILLA for going above and beyond to make the project a success.
We facilitated the exploratory meeting between W&R Philippines and several NCR jails for the possible establishment of a sewing jail industry project. The Manila City Jail Male Dormitory was shortlisted and we accompanied representatives from W&R to a courtesy call with JSUPT LINO M SORIANO, jail warden last April 24.
The courtesy called likewise included discussions with Warden Soriano on our upcoming reintegration project, "Bukas Loob Tungo sa Baong Pag-Asa" where several participants are from the MCJ-MD's BANDILA Aftercare Program.
We continue our support for the MCJ-MD's BANDILA Aftercare Program. The second batch of PDL due for release in April to June 2025 were provided with formation sessions.
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. Dr. Rafanan likewise donated one TV set to Navotas CJ-MD.
Likewise, our other partner, Sis Dory donated fabric scraps to Malabon CJ for use in their livelihood program.
As of May 3, 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 ₱ 5,134,450.00. 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!
Comments