Rehabilitation tests Quezon jail beyond its gates

By Engr. Jay B. Laurino JO2 Christian C. Piñera and JO2 Jonathan Blase discuss Quezon District Jail programs with PIA Quezon host Cecil...

By Engr. Jay B. Laurino

JO2 Christian C. Piñera and JO2 Jonathan Blase discuss Quezon District Jail programs with PIA Quezon host Cecille Maloles during Kapihan sa PIA Quezon in Lucena City. (Pacific Mall Lucena)

LUCENA CITY — Quezon District Jail is keeping its population below capacity while trying to reduce the number of released detainees who return on the same charges. With drug cases accounting for most of its population, the facility is relying on education, skills training, livelihood and aftercare to prepare persons deprived of liberty for life outside detention.

Jail Officer 2 Christian C. Piñera and Jail Officer 2 Jonathan Blase discussed the facility’s programs during a recent Kapihan sa PIA Quezon hosted by Cecille Maloles at Pacific Mall in Lucena City. They also addressed overcrowding, repeat offenders and the difficulties former PDLs face once they return to their communities.

Quezon District Jail currently holds 445 PDLs against a capacity of 520, keeping the facility below its congestion limit. Its four buildings generally house about 18 PDLs per dormitory, avoiding the sleeping shifts and packed cells associated with overcrowded detention facilities.

Nearly 80 percent of the jail population faces drug-related cases under Republic Act 9165, Piñera said. He cited one PDL who had already returned to the facility six times, each time facing a drug-related case.

Piñera said the jail uses rehabilitation programs to address behavior, education and employability while PDLs remain in custody. These include livelihood activities, skills training, counseling, sports, Alternative Learning System classes and the Therapeutic Community Modality Program.

“Hindi po kasi natin sila pwedeng hindi bigyan ng mga programa, as stated po sa Nelson Mandela Rules, which is the protection of the dignity ng PDL. Even po na PDL sila, they have their own rights pa rin naman po kahit nasa loob sila ng piitan,” Piñera said.

Last July, 47 PDLs completed Alternative Learning System programs, while 25 participants joined TESDA-supported Shielded Metal Arc Welding training and later underwent assessment. Horticulture and crop-production training followed in August, giving participants skills they may use for employment or livelihood after release.

Livelihood programs also have PDLs producing wallets, bags from recycled plastic bottles, coconut-shell coin banks, rags, potholders and doormats. Through a partnership with the Dalubhasaan ng Lungsod ng Lucena, trained PDLs sew uniforms from materials supplied by the school and receive payment for their labor.

Blase said rehabilitation also includes regular group and individual counseling, psychosocial activities and psychoeducation aimed at monitoring the mental condition of PDLs. Those who show signs of serious psychiatric problems may be referred for specialist evaluation and treatment outside the facility.

“Meron po kaming sinasagawang regular na group counseling, individual counseling at mga psychosocial activities para po sa ating mga PDL. Bukod doon, nagsasagawa din po kami ng psychoeducation tungkol po sa iba’t ibang sakit na may kinalaman sa pag-iisip,” Blase said.

The larger problem begins after release because the jail’s aftercare program has no dedicated budget and depends largely on referrals to local governments, social welfare offices and Public Employment Service Offices. Piñera cited a former PDL who learned barbering while detained and later opened a barbershop in Mauban with assistance from the municipal government.

Piñera said former PDLs often encounter discrimination when they return to their communities, particularly when looking for work or rebuilding family ties. Lack of employment and community acceptance, he said, can leave some vulnerable to the same offenses that previously brought them to jail.

The jail can count its population, graduates and training participants, but those figures say little about what happens once a PDL returns to the community. The clearest test comes afterward—whether a former detainee finds enough work, support and acceptance to avoid another return through the same gate.