Stricter rules and new programs will be implemented by the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology for newly-remitted offenders to ensure the health and safety of inmates and jail guards.
Jail Chief Insp. Ian Carl Niaga of the Metro Bacolod District Jail-Male Dormitory Annex in Barangay Handumanan said there are 41 newly-committed offenders, who are still under a14-day quarantine at the building’s isolation facility.
As a standard operating procedure, the BJMP management implemented the new policy since the last quarter of 2020 as a measure to avoid the spread of COVID-19 within the jail compound.
Niaga said that after 14 days at the isolation facility, inmates will undergo swab test and wait for negative results before he or she will be remitted to their respective prison cells.
Since the pandemic broke out last year, jail guards are on lock-in shifting duty to separate personnel who are rendering administrative functions and those who are assigned in the isolation facility, and those inside the jail facility to monitor inmates’ activities.
With court hearings done online, jail guards have to strictly observe protocols inside the BJMP compound.
Stricter rules, particularly observing social distancing and wearing of face mask, during daily sunning outside on per schedule basis are also being followed.
Before the pandemic they can go out for sunning at the same time, and jail nurses regularly monitor the inmates’ health conditions.
Since the pandemic broke out, inmates were prohibited to receive visitors and disallowed to attend religious activities temporarily inside the BJMP facility.
Niaga said they are introducing some programs on how to eliminate the boredom of PDLs.
One is allowing inmates to have a video call with their families in the presence of representatives from the Department of Social Welfare and Development, Niaga said.
“We hope that this is one way to lessen their depression and give them the hope,” he added.
There are 740 inmates at the MBDJ-Handumanan and 618 at the MBDJ Male Dormitory adjacent to the Bacolod City Police Office compound in Barangay Singcang-Airport. – MML
