IN order to decongest the detention cells at the Cebu Provincial Detention and Rehabilitation Center (CPDRC), the mess hall has been converted into a new “brigada” or sleeping quarters.
Marco Toral, consultant on jail management of the Cebu Provincial government, said the mess hall can accommodate 500 inmates. Construction was completed two months ago and the inmates have started to occupy the area.
Since there is no longer a mess hall, Toral said the inmates take their meals inside their cells.
CPDRC currently houses 2,895 inmates, nearly double the jail’s capacity of 1,600.
Despite the congestion and the heat due to the El Niño phenomenon, Toral said no inmate has suffered from heatstroke. A few,
however, complained of coughs and cold, but were immediately given medication.
“Kaluoy sa Ginoo wala tay (It is God’s mercy we don’t) have any cases of heatstroke and of any other heat-related diseases sa atong jail,” he told CEBU DAILY NEWS.
In March, an inmate lost consciousness before a scheduled dancing inmates’ performance. But the medical staff at the jail facility said it was due to fatigue and not the heat.
Other measures designed to decongest the facility include the construction of an additional building that will house inmates who have bailable cases or have short-term penalties, and the implementation of Good Conduct Time Allowance (GCTA) among overstaying inmates.
“GCTA is given to deserving inmates and (who) have been in jail over their sentences,” Toral said .
Ten inmates were granted GCTA last month. This means a deduction of: 20 days for each month of good behavior during his first two years of imprisonment; 23 days for his three to five years imprisonment; 25 days for his 6 to 10 years of imprisonment; and 30 days from the 11th year and onwards of his imprisonment.
A committee will evaluate the inmates and the jail warden will submit a report to the court, which will decide whether to grant GCTA or not.
If granted, Toral said a paralegal officer computes the remaining years in jail of the inmate.
“Depende sa computation sa iya sentence. For example, life in prison ang conviction which is 20 to 40 years, if naay GCTA, he will only stay ug 13 to 16 years then makalaya na,” he said.
To prevent heatstroke, Toral said the CPDRC management has allowed inmates to spend time at the quadrangle from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m., especially at noon and early afternoon.