Increasing number of inmates alarm Laoag jail warden

Laoag City Jail

By Dominic B. dela Cruz

Staff reporter

Laoag City—The continued and unabated rise of inmates at the Laoag City Jail is alarming.

This was the statement of city jail warden Jerry Palalay who disclosed that there are now 174 inmates compared to the maximum capacity based on existing cells of 60-80 inmates.

As of press time, records show that of the 174 inmates, 146 are males and 28 are females. At least 101 of the inmates are facing drug-related cases.

Mr. Palalay stressed that the maximum number for accommodation of the city jail has been exceeded and that it should now be considered as overcrowded.

He added that the existing seven cells have also been modified to accommodate the high number of inmates as double-decked beds are now used instead of single beds.

One of the major problems, Mr. Palalay noted is that some inmates have been in the city jail for almost 8 years already,

“Ket iti pakaalaan na dagitoy ket no agsukat iti judge, awan iti piskal wennu pasaray awan dagitay abogado da isut pakaibayagan dagiti kaso da,” Mr. Palalay said.

In view of this, the warden said they are forced to immediately send sentenced detainees to the national penitentiary to lessen the jail population.

Convicted inmates who are sentenced to less than three years however are allowed to serve out their sentence at the city jail, the warden explained.

Continuous police arrests

The continuous apprehension of the police of suspects is also among the reasons for the increasing number of the jail population, the warden added.

He however pointed out that budget for detainees’ meals is not affected as this is coming from the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP) national office.

As for the jail personnel, Mr. Palalay said they are doing their best to ensure jail security as well as the health situation of inmates.

Assistance from city government

To help solve the worsening jail situation, Mr. Palalay has turned to the city government for assistance.

In response, Laoag Mayor Chevylle V. Fariñas said she has instructed the City Engineering Office to study the matter.

The mayor has also approved the city hail request for a hospital bed for sick inmates, saying they should also be given proper medical attention and health care even if they are detained.

Though the request has been approved, Laoag City General Hospital chief Dr. Francis Manolito Dacuycuy said the hospital bed should be considered as “borrowed” as they may also need the bed when the number of patients in the hospital increases.

Mr. Palalay said they have identified an isolation room for inmates who are sick where the hospital bed will be put up to avoid transfer of diseases.