The Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP), in collaboration with the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), hosted an exclusive screening of the documentary New Jail, New Ways on Monday at Cinema 7, SM North EDSA, Quezon City.
The 20-minute film, directed by Juan Paolo Gopez, chronicles the transformation of the New Marawi City Jail, offering an in-depth look at its journey from an overcrowded and outdated facility to a modern correctional institution centered on human rights and rehabilitation.
BJMP Chief Jail Director Ruel Rivera highlighted the significance of the initiative, emphasizing that the New Marawi City Jail symbolizes the Bureau’s commitment to humane and secure jail management.
“Through this documentary, we hope to inspire further innovations in jail management, ensuring that persons deprived of liberty are given the opportunity for genuine reform and reintegration into society,” Rivera stated.
Setting a New Standard for Jail Reform
Amid one of the world’s most congested correctional systems, New Jail, New Ways showcases BJMP’s pioneering transition plan, developed in partnership with the UNODC and the Australian Government’s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT).
Built under Task Force Bangon Marawi after the 2017 Marawi siege, the facility integrates international standards in classification, risk assessment, and security protocols for persons deprived of liberty (PDL). From its conceptualization in 2018 to its official inauguration in June 2024, the documentary captures the challenges and milestones of modernizing jail management in a post-conflict setting.
Featuring exclusive interviews with jail officials, officers, community partners, and PDLs, the film underscores the critical role of policy reforms, capacity-building, and inter-agency collaboration in shaping the future of correctional facilities in the Philippines.
Building Modern and Sustainable Jails
The screening also marked the opening of the Jail and Prison Design Conference, a five-day gathering of BJMP and Bureau of Corrections (BuCor) engineers and architects, international experts, and students from selected academic institutions.
The conference focuses on sustainable and humane jail management solutions, highlighting infrastructure innovations, policy reforms, and rehabilitation programs that enhance correctional facilities.
Key attendees included Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) Undersecretary Serafin Barretto, Department of Justice (DOJ) Undersecretary Deo Marco, Associate Justice Jaime Fortunato A. Caringal of the Court of Appeals, BuCor Director-General Gregorio Catapang, and Australian Embassy Second Secretary Matthew Boyall. Representatives from government and non-government partners of the UNODC and BJMP, instrumental in correctional projects across Marawi and other facilities, also participated.
The event was made possible through the generous support of SM Prime Holdings Inc., which provided the venue for the screening.