THE three-story male dormitory in Cagayan de Oro City Jail is now 90 percent complete and is set to open before the year ends.
A project under the city government, the dormitory costs P19.2 million and part of the city's campaign to decongest the jail facility located in Barangay Lumbia.
The facility is only intended to take in about 400 inmates, but currently, it houses over 2,000 inmates, and 90 percent of them are charged with illegal drugs use and possession.
Each of the floors of the new male dormitory has at least 4 cells and can take at least 12 inmates.
Aside from the establishment of the new male dorm, the city has also started last year a program that provides free legal assistance to thousands of inmates of the city jail.
Called Hapsay Buhay, the program brought together volunteer lawyers and inmates for free legal sessions inside the city jail.
The free session allows inmates to talk about their cases with the lawyers offering their services for free.
Hapsay Buhay also holds medical missions and spirituality and livelihood programs for the inmates.
