ILOILO City – Ninety-two percent of the 154 female inmates at the Iloilo District Jail (IDJ) in Barangay Nanga, Pototan, Iloilo have drug-related cases.
The rest were charged with murder, estafa and theft, among others, said Jail Inspector Imee Lopera, jail warden of the IDJ female dormitory.
The jail’s goal is to reform these inmates and prepare them for reintegration to mainstream society.
According to Lopera, during daily morning meetings the inmates are encouraged to share their concerns, experiences and learnings while in detention.
A cathartic activity, these daily meetings aim to influence the inmates into changing their outlook and life and behavior for the better.
In cooperation with the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority, the inmates are also enrolled in the Alternative Learning System. Among others, they are taught hilot, spa and massage therapy.
The oldest inmate at the IDJ female dormitory is 63 years old. Most are between 18 to 45 years old.
To ensure the inmates’ health, the IDJ is coordinating with the Department Health for medical checkups and medicines.
This Christmas and New Year celebrations, the IDJ management has decided to extend the visiting hours on Dec. 24 and 25, and Dec. 31 and Jan. 1, 2-19. This is between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m.
During ordinary days, the visiting hours are between 9 a.m. and 12 noon, and between 1 p.m. and 4 p.m.
Lopera said the female inmates’ condition would further improve in 2019 when a proposed four-storey building would have been completed.
At present, the female dormitory is overcrowded. The facility was designed to accommodate 60 inmates only.
The Bureau of Jail Management and Penology allotted P33 million for the proposed new building, said Lopera./PN
