DECONGESTING THE DIPOLOG CITY JAIL: THE ROLE OF PARALEGAL ASSISTANCE EXTENSION PROGRAM OF JOSE RIZAL MEMORIAL STATE UNIVERSITY

Jail congestion has been a concern as harsh jail conditions literally violate human dignity. A major baseline issue is the limited access of inmates to paralegal assistance. A sustainable solution to this issue of slow moving trial and jail congestion is to identify inmates as to what form of assistance can be extended and to prioritize inmates who might qualify for early release. Leading the program is the Dipolog City Reformatory Center where twenty five inmates were track as to status of their cases This study used the descriptive method to find out the role of paralegal assistance program of Jose Rizal Memorial State University to jail decongestion. Male respondents are generally young, less educated, and perpetrators of economic crimes. Nearly half of the respondents (48%) were able to avail of modes of release. Following up a case generally promotes speedy disposition of cases. Regardless of the inmate’s profile, their participation is not determinative of the program. Generally, inmates engage in acts that bring financial rewards to them. The paralegal program provides a unique and alternative access to justice.