Davao City is poised to put up a P236Million jail facility capable of accommodating 5,000 inmates in Calinan district, according to City Jail warden Grace Taculin in a press briefing yesterday.
Taculin the modern and much larger facility will be constructed inside an eight-hectare piece of land in Barangay Wangan, Calinan district.
The lot was donated by Louella Garcia, owner and propritress of Balik-Bukid farms.
“Three hectares will be allocated for the jail building and facility,” she revealed, adding that five hectares will be for industrial activities.
The jail will be donated to the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP).
She said a 2019 deadline is being eyed for the construction of the jail facility with the bidding and construction expected to start at early first quarter next year.
Taculin revealed that the P236 million allocation for the project was approved by both the lower and upper house of Congress.
“The jail in Ma-a will be considered as the annex once the new facility in Calinan will be complete,” Taculin said, pointing out that the current facility will soon be exclusive to female, high-risk or high-value target, and senior citizen inmates.
BJMP records show that the current Davao City Jail, located in Barangay Ma-a can only accommodate 384 inmates, but is currently home to nearly 2,982 inmates.
“Inmates have been suffering from various diseases such as boils and tuberculosis due to overcrowding,” Taculin said.
Taculin admitted that there has been a tremendous increase in the number of inmates in the past few years, with more than 70 percent of inmates involved in drug-related cases.
She also noted that the jail is currently 677 percent congested wherein 567 percent of the inmates are women – 110 percent higher than male.
Taculin, meanwhile, revealed that the City Government of Davao has also provided P 1 million supplemental budget for 2017.
