The Bureau of Corrections (BuCor) is set to establish halfway houses in prison facilities and penal farms across the country to support Persons Deprived of Liberty (PDLs) nearing release.
BuCor Director General Gregorio Catapang Jr. issued the directive, highlighting the need to provide temporary shelter for inmates who are either about to be released or have been freed but still lack stable housing.
Prison officials have been instructed to submit detailed plans, designs, and budget proposals for the construction of the halfway houses.
Additionally, Catapang has ordered the identification of specific areas where soon-to-be-released inmates can be temporarily housed and separated from the general prison population.
The primary goal of the initiative is to prepare PDLs for reintegration into society through counseling, orientation, interviews, and short courses while they stay in the halfway houses.
Catapang emphasized that true reintegration involves more than just release—it requires equipping former inmates with the knowledge and skills to successfully return to their communities.
The BuCor halfway houses project reflects a rehabilitative shift in the country’s penal system, prioritizing long-term reintegration over mere incarceration.