They twerked and grooved to a medley of modern music.
About 40 inmates from the female dormitory of the Cebu City Jail showed that they, too, can dance.
Senior Insp. Stephanny Sotero, the warden, said yesterday’s dancing was not meant to compete with the inmates of the Cebu Provincial Detention and Rehabilitation Center (CPDRC) but to celebrate National Correctional Day.
Sotero said she encouraged inmates to dance to empower them as they face life’s challenges while in detention.
“Ang naging inspiracion talaga namin is yung pagkakaroon talaga ng pag-asa. Pagbibigay ng pag-asa para sa ating mga kababaehan (Our inspiration behind this is to give the detainees hope thorugh dance.),” she added.
Inmates from the female dormitory of the Cebu City Jail shows off their dancing prowess. (CDN PHOTO/JUNJIE MENDOZA)
Inmates wore pink T-shirts and black pants when they appeared at the jail’s quadrangle at 8 a.m.
They danced to a medley of at least four songs which included “Twerk It Like Miley” by Brandon Beal.
Unlike CPDRC’s dancing inmates, Sotero said, the female inmates practiced on their own for two months without a choreographer.
They also raised funds from contributions of their relatives and other private donors for their costumes.
Sotero said that while detainees are behind bars awaiting court hearings and trial, they should be given support and encouragement,
The dancing inmates aged 20 to 40 years old are serving jail terms for murder and drug related cases, among others.
Participating dancers were selected from among the jail’s 250 inmates.
Sotero said detainees should be given a chance to prove that they have been successfully rehabilitated before they return to their communities.
By allowing them to dance, Sotero said, she wanted to show off their talent, help change the inmates’ mind-set and make them an inspiration for other detainees.