The Davao City Jail aims to expand its capacity in the annex building this year as congestion rate is already up by 898%.
The jail has a capacity of only 100 inmates but it currently houses 747 persons.
The number of cells can no longer accommodate the large number of inmates in the city, especially those with special needs. Of the total population, 11% are elders and 38% suffer from diseases that call for immediate or consistent treatment.
With a congestion rate of 898%, the new Davao City Jail Annex warden, Sr. Insp. Erwin Espen, city jail warden, said their resources are stretched thin to support the large population of inmates.
While they build new cells at the annex building, each cell can only accommodate 25 inmates. One of the solutions they are looking at is the construction of triple deck bunk beds, which will allow them to increase the number of inmates per cell four times.
The kitchen facilities are already old and lack sanitation. Renovation of these facilities will provide better assistance for inmates with illnesses.
Among the most common congestion-related diseases include diarrhea, skin diseases, hypertension, and other sanitary-related diseases.
Espen requested the City Council to support them, especially with resources such as bunk beds and kitchen resources. They have already sought for a P400,000 support for the construction of bunk beds and kitchen facilities from the council.
The construction of the bunk beds may start as soon as the annex building will receive the support from the city, Espen told TIMES in an interview.
Espen also makes sure that provision for better security for the inmates is also a priority, along with livelihood, education, and health.
The Davao City jail annex is an extension of Davao City jail main which caters over 3,000 prisoners, exceeding its capacity of 300 prisoners. The newly installed jail warden just took over the Davao City Jail annex last July 1, 2018.
