Pubdate: Tue, 24 Jan 2006
Source: Freeman, The (Philippines)
Copyright: 2006 The Freeman
Contact:  http://www.thefreeman.com
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/3437
Author: Liv G. Campo
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/prison.htm (Incarceration)
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/areas/Philippines

CONGESTION HITS TALISAY CITY JAIL

The Talisay City Jail has more than 200 inmates, almost twice the
capacity the jail facility is allowed to accommodate, according to
warden Johnson Calub.

Calub told The Freeman that the Talisay City Rehabilitation and
Detention Center is supposed to house 150 inmates but with the
increasing number of prisoners, the jail facility's five cottages are
now accommodating at least 245 detainees.

One of the cottages, which are concrete houses surrounded by a fence
made of barbed wire, is occupied by 31 female inmates.

Because of the growing number of detainees, Calub has requested the
city government to construct more cottages, which will also be used
for minor detainees. Currently, the jail has 21 minor inmates.

About 70 percent of all inmates at the jail face drug charges, while
the rest are being accused of rape, murder or robbery. Majority of the
detainees are Catholics while only two are Muslims.

Data released by the jail office showed that most of the inmates did
not finish elementary school, and some of them are even considered
illiterate.

Calub said the statistics also showed that only two percent of the
inmates are "returnees," or those who were previously imprisoned but
had returned for another offenses.

Each of the prisoners is allotted with P40 allowance a day from the
Bureau of Jail Management and Penology. 
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MAP posted-by: Tom