Post by EXPRESIDENT on May 30, 2011 6:30:37 GMT 8
Ty eyes private firms to manage jail facilities
At the House of Representatives, Rep. Arnel Ty of the party-list group Liquefied Petroleum Gas Marketers Association proposed yesterday the outsourcing of jail services to private investors.
“Government should now seriously consider relegating to private entities the provision and management of prison and jail facilities. We have to eventually transfer to private firms the performance of detention, correction and rehabilitation services. This is the only way we can maintain a cost-efficient penal system in the future,” Ty said.
In the U.S., Ty said tens of thousands of inmates are now being housed and managed by private companies that bid competitively at the federal, state and municipal levels for contracts to provide such jail services.
One of the largest among the firms is Nashville, Tennessee-based Corrections Corporation of America, which owns, operates and manages 66 correctional facilities - including those for juveniles - with more than 70,000 inmates.
“Government now spends more than P40,000 per inmate every year. If more efficient private contractors can do a better job of housing, feeding and caring for inmates at a more economical rate, then this could mean not just improved services for inmates, but also huge cost-savings for taxpayers,” Ty said.
“In America and other countries, private contractors are able to spend less because they rely heavily on high-technology security solutions and less on staff. Thus, they are able to re-channel savings to improve meals and education services for inmates,” he said.
The BJMP runs 418 jails with some 80,000 detainees. The BuCor maintains seven prisons with around 36,000 inmates.
In 2007, then Chief Justice Reynato Puno said government would be better off conveying to private firms the administration of detention facilities, in order to address massive overcrowding.
“If the State is financially unable to maintain a viable system, one option would be to privatize our detention facilities, which is already being done in more progressive countries,” he said.
AFP ready to secure NBP
Meanwhile, the military expressed readiness to deploy Army troops to help secure the NBP if ordered by the President, even as it stressed that guarding jail facilities is not part of its core functions.
Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) spokesman Commodore Miguel Rodriguez said they are ready to provide assistance to other state agencies, but tapping Army soldiers to secure the NBP should only be a “stop-gap” measure given the different nature of their training.
“The armed forces are organized and can respond quickly. Before a lasting solution is arrived at, soldiers may be asked to do that task (guarding NBP). After that, they can go back to their core functions,” the AFP spokesman said.
“As soon as things stabilized we should be able to go back to our core function,” he added.
Army chief Lt. Gen. Arturo Ortiz said the proposal to tap soldiers to help guard the NBP is an indication that they enjoy the trust of the government.
“It speaks of our enhanced credibility as a partner in the dispensation of justice. While the proposal is most welcome, our top priority remains protecting our people and communities against atrocities,” Ortiz said in a text message. -- Cecille Suerte Felipe, Edu Punay, Jess Diaz, Aie Balagtas See, Alexis Romero
At the House of Representatives, Rep. Arnel Ty of the party-list group Liquefied Petroleum Gas Marketers Association proposed yesterday the outsourcing of jail services to private investors.
“Government should now seriously consider relegating to private entities the provision and management of prison and jail facilities. We have to eventually transfer to private firms the performance of detention, correction and rehabilitation services. This is the only way we can maintain a cost-efficient penal system in the future,” Ty said.
In the U.S., Ty said tens of thousands of inmates are now being housed and managed by private companies that bid competitively at the federal, state and municipal levels for contracts to provide such jail services.
One of the largest among the firms is Nashville, Tennessee-based Corrections Corporation of America, which owns, operates and manages 66 correctional facilities - including those for juveniles - with more than 70,000 inmates.
“Government now spends more than P40,000 per inmate every year. If more efficient private contractors can do a better job of housing, feeding and caring for inmates at a more economical rate, then this could mean not just improved services for inmates, but also huge cost-savings for taxpayers,” Ty said.
“In America and other countries, private contractors are able to spend less because they rely heavily on high-technology security solutions and less on staff. Thus, they are able to re-channel savings to improve meals and education services for inmates,” he said.
The BJMP runs 418 jails with some 80,000 detainees. The BuCor maintains seven prisons with around 36,000 inmates.
In 2007, then Chief Justice Reynato Puno said government would be better off conveying to private firms the administration of detention facilities, in order to address massive overcrowding.
“If the State is financially unable to maintain a viable system, one option would be to privatize our detention facilities, which is already being done in more progressive countries,” he said.
AFP ready to secure NBP
Meanwhile, the military expressed readiness to deploy Army troops to help secure the NBP if ordered by the President, even as it stressed that guarding jail facilities is not part of its core functions.
Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) spokesman Commodore Miguel Rodriguez said they are ready to provide assistance to other state agencies, but tapping Army soldiers to secure the NBP should only be a “stop-gap” measure given the different nature of their training.
“The armed forces are organized and can respond quickly. Before a lasting solution is arrived at, soldiers may be asked to do that task (guarding NBP). After that, they can go back to their core functions,” the AFP spokesman said.
“As soon as things stabilized we should be able to go back to our core function,” he added.
Army chief Lt. Gen. Arturo Ortiz said the proposal to tap soldiers to help guard the NBP is an indication that they enjoy the trust of the government.
“It speaks of our enhanced credibility as a partner in the dispensation of justice. While the proposal is most welcome, our top priority remains protecting our people and communities against atrocities,” Ortiz said in a text message. -- Cecille Suerte Felipe, Edu Punay, Jess Diaz, Aie Balagtas See, Alexis Romero