Congestion rate of Baguio Jail male dorm improving

The congestion rate of male dorms of the Baguio city jai has improved to 138 percent in April this year compared to the 162 percent congestion rate last year.    

Jail Superintendent April Rose W. Ayangwa, warden of the Baguio City Jail male dorm, said that as of April 17, 2023, the facility had a population of 365 persons with disabilities (PWDs) who are distributed in some 27 dorms within the 1,295-square meter floor area of the jail.        

She claimed that with a lot area of 1,540 square meters, the Baguio City Jail–male dorm stands to be one of the congested jails in the Cordillera based on the standards of the United Nations (UN) where the space for each person deprived of liberty (PDL) is 4.7 square meters.       

The jail officer pointed out that the decrease in the facility’s congestion rate was made possible with the diligent efforts of the courts of law where 371 PDLs were released from January to December last year out of the 404 PDLs that were committed for detention.       

Ayangwa revealed that there were some 400 PDLs detained in the facility when she assumed office in January 2023 and from January to April 16 this year, a total of 180 offenders were released while 116 were committed for detention.           

According to her, the courts of law are doing all interventions to help in decongesting the jail to ensure that it will be compliant with the prescribed UN standards for the benefit of the detained PDLs and the jail officers that are looking after their welfare while detained in the said facility. She assured concerned stakeholders that the Baguio City Jail–male dorm will be able to provide more developmental opportunities to the PDLs to prepare them before their reintegration to the society.           

For update, Ayangwa reported that the proposed construction of the Baguio City Jail male and female dorms in an area in barangay San Luis village covering an area of 3,750 square meters pursuant to a deed of usufruct between the city government and Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP) is still awaiting to be included in the agency’s 2024 budget.          

She expressed the BJMP’s gratitude to the city government for the never-ending support in the proposed construction of the said jail building to address the facility’s congestion rate and all other support that the BHMP received and continuously receives from the city. – Dexter A. See