Inmates Receive Skills Training For Rehabilitation

The Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP) announced on Saturday that it is collaborating with other government agencies to assist inmates or persons deprived of liberty (PDLs) in their transformation by providing them with skills they can utilize after their release, aiming to prevent them from becoming repeat offenders.

The BJMP is implementing a classification strategy, wherein PDLs are categorized to match appropriate programs suitable for them. I Photo: Philippine Information Agency

During a news forum in Quezon City, BJMP Director Ruel Rivera stated that his agency signed a partnership with the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) last month for a program to equip PDLs with employable skills.

"We have programs to provide those incarcerated with employable skills—while they are there, we teach them [to become] an electrician or in handicraft making—that's where we are heading," Rivera shared during the forum.

"By next week, we will also have a signing with the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) so that upon their release into the community, they can be given employment," he added.

Rivera mentioned that the BJMP is implementing a classification strategy, wherein PDLs are categorized to match appropriate programs suitable for them. This classification aims to provide PDLs with the necessary skills and education to help them reintegrate into society successfully.

Highlighting the effectiveness of the classification program, Rivera mentioned the graduation of 220 high school and senior high school students in the Manila City Jail last month. Similar programs are being implemented in other parts of the country.

"We have already graduated seven colleges in what we call 'college behind bars,' and we are intensifying it. Now we have partnerships, and seven colleges nationwide are providing free college education to those incarcerated," he said.

Rivera emphasized that the BJMP is focusing on these programs to address the high reoffending rate in the country, ranging from 28 to 30 percent according to BJMP's records.

The goal is to provide inmates with skills during their incarceration, enabling them to earn a living and support their families upon release.

"While they are inside, we teach them, and as Christmas is approaching, they need money; they need to earn. We provide them with 100 percent, we don't take anything.

The BJMP supports them, meaning they can now support their families, and once they are free, they know how to paint, make pots, and various other skills. This will reduce their likelihood of reoffending," Rivera explained.

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