By Dominique Gabriel G. Bañaga

Bureau of Jail Management and Penology-Region VI (BJMP-6) director, Jail Senior Superintendent Joel Superficial, recently revealed the agency is in need of more jail guards, in order to accommodate for the growing prison population across the region.

In a radio interview with Bombo Radyo-Bacolod, Superficial said an additional 1,000 new guards are needed nationwide, with 90 to 200 being deployed to various detention facilities in Western Visayas.

The BJMP-6 chief said the ideal jail guard to prisoner ratio would be one-to-one; noting the current ratio is 1 guard for every 50 inmates.

Superficial added, he is confident more people would join their force after President Rodrigo Duterte signed a resolution increasing pay for all military and police personnel, which include the BJMP./DGB, WDJ