Advancing Corrections Journal - Edition #8 - Investing in Staff (ACJ8-A002)

Article 2: Engaging Jail Paralegal Officers In Addressing Overcrowding In Pre-Trial Detention Within Bjmp Jails By Building, Sustaining And Recognizing Their Skills And Competences To Leverage Judicial Guarantees (ACJ8-A002)

Abstract

This article reviews the work undertaken by the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP)2 of the Philippines to deliver professional development and specialized legal training to its jail paralegal workforce over the last decade. The underlying aim was to facilitate access for detainees to early release mechanisms as one way of addressing the continuous increase in the population held by the BJMP. The article highlights the crucial role that effective Jail Paralegal Officers can play in linking the BJMP’s jails with local criminal justice actors outside, and the importance therefore of enhancing the Officers’ communication skills and technical expertise and rewarding them for their motivation. The changes in professional practice and behaviour that are needed require a long-term commitment to support the BJMP jail paralegal program.

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Authors

Vincent Ballon

Head of the Unit for Deprivation of Liberty, International Committee of the Red Cross, Switzerland

Vincent Ballon has worked for the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) for over ten years, predominantly in positions relating to visiting of persons deprived of their liberty. He is presently Head of the Unit for Deprivation of Liberty of the ICRC Protection Division, and the ICRC Central Tracing Agency. He has worked as a Protection Delegate in various contexts, including Afghanistan, Liberia, Zimbabwe, Pakistan, Yemen, Burundi and the Philippines. He has a background in law.

Jeza Mae Sarah Sanchez

Attorney, Bureau of Jail Management and Penology, Philippines

Attorney Jeza Mae Sarah Sanchez serves at the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology, one of the national government agencies which handles people detained in the Philippines. She has 11 years of experience in corrections, including four years as chief of staff to the former BJMP head. As such, she collaborates with various organizations and institutions in addressing the causes and effects of jail congestion. At present, she heads the legal service section in north Mindanao, an island in the south of the Philippines. As a data driven lawyer, she spearheads a team which manages data with the aim of producing insights that can help address issues relating to incarceration and jail congestion.

Advancing Corrections Journal - Edition #8 - Investing in Staff (ACJ8-A002)

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