The new jail facility for Zamboanga City Jail (ZCJ) is now is now 90 percent complete and can soon accept Person’s Deprived of Liberty (PDL’s).
SJO2 Rey Laurence Comprendio, ZCJ Information Officer, said for the female dormitory 1 and 2 it is now 88 to 90 percent done, for male dormitory 1 53 to 55 percent done, and male dormitory 2 at 30 to 35 percent done.
He said what is also lacking is the fence and the utilities such as water and electricity.
The new jail facility is located at barangay Talisayan with as area of 6 hectares with a budget of ₱ 200 million.
It can accommodate 5,000 PDLs with facilities such as separate administration buildings, barracks for personnel, sport center, agriculture area, bigger cells, and the infirmary.
There will also be mini court especially for high risk PDLs so that instead of transporting PDLs to downtown for court hearing, instead the judge will come to the jail facility.
More than 150 additional jail personnels will also be needed for the new facility and the transfer of PDLs will not be done abrupt.
“This will solve the perennial problem of jail congestion,” Comprendio said.
In ZCJ alone, there are 2,800 male PDL’s. (R.G. Antonet Go)