The 19 additional cells to be built inside the CPDRC compound can house 600 inmates based on projections by jail officials.
Despite housing 2,732 inmates inside a facility that can detain a maximum of 1,500 prisoners, the Cebu Provincial Detention and Rehabilitation Center (CPDRC) will continue to accept more prisoners from all over the province.
“It doesn’t mean we can handle 3,000 but I know sooner or later, we’ll gonna reach the 3,000 mark and I think the Governor will have to assess it again,” said acting warden Bobby Legaspi.
Legaspi said the facility already housed 3,000 inmates when he assumed his post.
He said they don’t have a choice since most prisons in the province are already filled to capacity.
“As long as they have court orders, we accept them. We cannot deny (since) it’s coming from the judges. At the same time, the local stations, the LGUs (local government units), they’re just holding cells,” Legaspi said.
Legaspi said they were accepting five to 10 new inmates on a weekly basis while they transfer batches of prisoners to other prison facilities in the country.
Last Sunday, Legaspi said they transferred 30 inmates to the New Bilibid Prison in Muntinlupa City, bringing down the number of inmates to 2,725.
Legaspi said some of the inmates would sleep on the hallway while others would have to sleep on hammocks.
Earlier this month, the Cebu Provincial Board approved a budget of P4.5-million to fund the construction of 19 additional cells and the renovation of the infirmary inside CPDRC.
PB Member Sun Shimura, who sponsored the appropriation measure, said the project will help decongest the CPDRC since each cell can house 30 inmates.