Balay Rehabilitation Center held a Seminar on Torture Prevention, Monitoring, Documentation and Reporting for BJMP

Balay Rehabilitation Center held a Seminar on Torture Prevention, Monitoring, Documentation and Reporting for Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP) Wardens and Health Officer Torture in Cebu last March 30, 2016. The speakers include former Commission on Human Rights Regional Director Atty. Alejandro Alonso Jr., officials from the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology National Headquarters and representatives from Balay Rehabilitation Center. Participants composed of 55 BJMP Wardens and Jail Officers from different jails in the Visayas.

The activity is a commitment to promote a rights-based approach to jail management and the BJMP Guidelines on Torture Prevention, Documentation, and Reporting - one of the products of the BJMP-Balay partnership over the years. The seminar was a timely activity to call the attention of jail authorities and the Commission on Human Rights to uphold the freedom from torture law following the reported use of excessive force by jail officers against around thirty protesting inmates in Makati City Jail on March 9.

BJMP is one of the government agencies that has a standing policy against torture and ill-treatment of persons deprived of liberty. It has issued guidelines on torture prevention, documentation and reporting last year and has collaborated with the CHR and a human right civil society organization in promoting torture prevention awareness among its jail officers.

The activity is in partnership with the BJMP-Director for Inmates Welfare Development (BJMP-DIWD) and supported by the Danish Institute against Torture (Dignity).