‘Caloocan needs a new jail’

The new chief of the Caloocan City Jail has asked for around P50 million to build a new detention center to prevent overcrowding.

In a courtesy call on city councilors, Supt. Paulino Moreno Jr. pushed for the construction of another city jail, to be situated in North Caloocan, to decongest the current one located on Tanigue Street in Dagat-Dagatan, just in front of the Northern Police District headquarters.

Moreno, who was designated chief of the Caloocan City Jail in September, said that another prison facility in the northern part of the city was necessary since around one-third of the 1,207 inmates were from North Caloocan.

It would also be easier for jail guards to bring inmates with pending cases to court, especially since the Metropolitan Trial Court in North Caloocan, which was inaugurated earlier this year, has started conducting hearings.

“If the city government could donate a tract of land about two hectares or more for the construction of the annex of the Caloocan City Jail, the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology could then request for funds for the jail’s construction from the national government,” Moreno said.

He noted that the city jail was built to accommodate just 150 inmates. “The jail … was constructed during the early 90s and has 12 cells which should ideally hold just nine occupants. However, over 100 people occupy each cell,” Moreno told the councilors.