DAGUPAN CITY, Pangasinan (PIA) –- The Department of Justice (DOJ)-Parole and Probation Administration (PPA) Regional Office 1 highlighted during a Kapihan sa Bagong Pilipinas episode the critical role of “community-based corrections” in the rehabilitation and reintegration of offenders into society.
The PPA is an agency that offers a less costly alternative to imprisonment for offenders likely to benefit from individualized community-based treatment programs, aiming to promote reformation and reduce recidivism or relapse into criminal behavior.
Wilfred Gonnay, regional officer-in-charge of PPA Region 1, explained the agency’s efforts and programs that contributed to reforming criminal offenders.
“Our mission is to rehabilitate and reintegrate persons on community-based corrections for peace and social justice,” said Gonnay, highlighting the value of this program, which focuses on transforming offenders into productive members of society rather than simply confining them in facilities.
Gonnay stressed the agency is responsible for the supervision treatment of the discharged parolees and pardonees, ensuring they meet the conditions of their release and receive the necessary support for their reformation.
“As of July 2024, we received 1,721 investigations and we already acted upon 1,371 of those cases,” he said, explaining that the probation cases were disposed of, indicating the office has addressed the majority of its pending cases.
He added that their office currently oversees 6,232 supervision cases, with 1,159 having been terminated. i
“As of July 31, we have a total of 5,073 active supervision cases. These active cases were distributed to our 12 offices in the region [to ensure proper management],” said Gonnay.
In terms of community engagement, Gonnay said the PPA Regional Office 1 has been active in community service through environmental initiatives.
He said that their office has successfully conducted 180 clean-up drives and 558 tree-planting activities, resulting in the planting of 16,112 seedlings.
These activities not only help the environment but also involve offenders in positive community work as part of their rehabilitation.
Meanwhile, Gonnay acknowledged the challenges faced by the agency, including a surge in investigation and supervision cases and a limited number of field officers, with current ratios of 1:78 for investigations and 1:231 for supervision.
To address these challenges, PPA is looking toward a PPA modernization bill, which they hope will provide additional personnel to ensure that pending cases are properly addressed.
Also, the agency is piloting the Responds and Needs Responsibility (RNR) model, a supervision and services framework that categorizes clients based on their supervision needs, allowing for a more focused approach, especially for those requiring maximum supervision.
Gonnay expressed optimism that these initiatives would strengthen the PPA’s capacity to rehabilitate offenders effectively and reduce the incidence of recidivism, thereby contributing to a safer and more just society.
Other PPA programs include a Therapeutic Community, which is designed to be therapeutic by requiring each client to play a dual role of client-therapist; Restorative Justice, which promotes reconciliation, repair, and reassurance between clients and victims in the community; and Volunteerism, which aims to maximize effective and efficient citizen participation and community involvement in the client rehabilitation process. (MJTAB/JCDR/KCC/PIA Pangasinan)
