ILOILO City – The main goal of jailing inmates is to rehabilitate them, according to the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP) Region 6.
But not all people know this, lamented Jail Senior Superintendent Joel Superficial, director of BJMP in Western Visayas.
“It is a constant challenge for us at the BJMP to reach out to as many people as possible and let them know of our goals as harbinger of change and transformation,” he revealed.
Society in general has very little knowledge of BJM P’s job, according to Superficial.
“We often meet people looking down on us because we are dealing with offenders, criminals and outlaws,” he said.
BJMP-6 recently marked the National Correctional Consciousness Week (NACOCOW).
NACOCOW was mandated by Presidential Proclamation 551, Series of 1995 that then President Fidel Ramos issued, said Jail Superintendent Gilbert Peremne, BJMP assistant regional director for operations.
The observance aimed to raise public awareness and appreciation to the role of government agencies such as the BJMP in transforming persons deprived of liberty (PDLs or inmates).
In Western Visayas, the celebration included giving citations to exemplary jail wardens, jail personnel and relations officers.
There was also a fun run, zumba and poster-making contest.
Peremne said the activities highlighted the roles of various stakeholders in coming up with programs and plans that address jail problems such as congestion, rehabilitation and social services for inmates.
Superficial said it is necessary for the public to participate in the rehabilitation of inmates./PN
