THE SIGNIFICANT reduction of jail congestion in Western Visayas — from a staggering 600 percent down to about 290 percent — is most welcome. But even at 290 percent, the situation remains far from acceptable. The region’s jails are still bursting far beyond their intended capacity, and this is not merely a human rights issue — it is a looming public safety and public health crisis.
The Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP) Region 6 deserves credit for the strides made through paralegal initiatives and the construction of new facilities, such as the ongoing expansion projects in Leganes, Iloilo, and the planned new building for the Silay City District Jail. Yet, even these efforts will only scratch the surface unless jail congestion is treated as an urgent, interconnected threat to community wellbeing.
Overcrowded jails create the perfect storm for disease outbreaks. Poor ventilation, lack of sanitation, and cramped living conditions accelerate the spread of infectious diseases such as tuberculosis, skin infections, and, in more recent times, COVID-19. In 2020, the Department of Health reported that jails across the Philippines had tuberculosis infection rates up to 40 times higher than the general population. Western Visayas jails, grappling with triple or quadruple their intended capacity, are no exception to these alarming statistics.
Furthermore, jail congestion undermines public security. Overpopulated facilities strain the ability of jail officers to maintain order, increasing the risk of riots, escapes, and violence. Inmates, deprived of meaningful rehabilitation and humane living conditions, are more likely to return to society angrier, more desperate, and less equipped to reintegrate — feeding back into the cycle of crime and instability.
The situation in major urban centers like Silay City and Iloilo City highlights how closely linked jail conditions are to the broader safety of our communities. When facilities are unable to properly separate high-risk offenders from low-risk detainees, or minors from adults, it not only violates human rights but also hampers efforts at genuine rehabilitation.
BJMP’s call for sustained collaboration from local government units is important. Building new facilities is necessary, but not sufficient. There must be parallel efforts to push for speedier court proceedings, greater use of non-custodial penalties for minor offenses, and stronger community-based rehabilitation programs. After all, every individual unnecessarily kept in detention without timely trial or alternative resolutions adds weight to an already sinking system.
We must understand that the problem behind bars does not stay behind bars. It festers and grows until it affects the very fabric of our society — through disease, disorder, and the corrosion of public trust in the justice system.
