1. Raymund E. Narag, PhD
Associate Professor
School of Justice and Public Safety

2.  Prolonged pretrial detention
▪ Average stay of detainees is 529 days
▪ Twenty percent of PDLs stay in detention for 5 years or
more
▪ Some stay in jail for 15 years or more
 More adverse effect
▪ Poor and less educated stay longer than rich and educated
▪ Women and LGBTQI stay longer than men
▪ Ethno-linguistic minorities stay longer thanTagalogs and
Bisayas
▪ Religious minorities (Muslim) stay longer than Catholics

3.  Indigency and lack of resources
▪ 53 percent of the detainees have “bailable”
offenses but cannot post bail
 Tedious process
▪ There are numerous requirements and documents
in posting bail and release on recognizance
 Cultural dynamics
▪ Case delay as a legal tactic

4.  Jail and prison crowding
▪ The Philippines has the highest jail and prison
congestion congestion rate (350%)
 Made worse by the “drug war”
▪ 70 percent of the detainees are drug related
 Complicated by the Covid19 pandemic
 Emergence of “coping mechanisms” in the
jails and prisons
 Recidivism and public safety

6.  Community Bail Bond program https://www.presocbb.org/
▪ Identifying low risk, first time bail offenders
▪ Establish relationships while in jail
▪ If qualified, post cash bail or Release on Recognizance
(Ranges: Php 2,000 or US$ 40 to PhP100,000 or US$
2,000)
▪ Upon release, supervision and monitoring in the
community
▪ Referral to livelihood, educational and medical
programs (for the participant and their families)
▪ 23 participants released; 40 percent are women; all
poor, indigent and less education

8.  Protecting the citizens from the harsh
application of the law
 Reducing jail overcrowding
 Shielding the detainees from the corrupting
influence of jails and prisons
 Reducing risks of jumping bail
 Improving public safety and lowering
recidivism
 Saving government expenses