Jail Rescue Visit to the CHILD PRISON called Cradle
By Deirdre McCarthy- Irish solicitor (Preda Volunteer)
May 31,2007
On Thursday May 31,2007 I went with the JRT to Manila, accompanied by some of the boys from the Preda Boys Home. I had previously had the opportunity of attending the holding cells in the police station in Mandalayong in Manila, and it is worth setting out some information on that visit as a context for the visit to the juvenile detention centre, called CRADLE, which we visited with the JRT.
The conditions in Mandalayong police station truly shocked me. They are typical of what we hear conditions to be like, but hearing about it cannot prepare you for what to see, smell, sense and feel when you arrive there. Western countries frequently speak of the problem of overcrowding in their jails, which of course, however, Iım sure those overcrowded conditions would feel almost luxurious to the inmates being detained in the holding cells in Mandalayong. There were two cells, one smaller one for women, holding about 5 or 6 detainees, and one larger one for the men - although it was difficult to gauge size, I would say it was approximately 12 feet x 8 feet. There were so many men in it that I could not count them all. Some were stretched out on the floor, taking their turn of using the available floor space, sleeping, others were lined along the caged bars which detained them the entire length of the bars was lined with detainees looking out and particularly taking interest in the visitors.
One or two of the men had family members visiting them and giving them some food through the bars. The cell was pretty dark and it was hard to see fully inside of it there seemed to be others who were sitting on some form of ledge, and one had managed to hang up some cloth to make a hammock in which he was perched, in what seemed to be prized position in the cell. I could not make out what sanitary facilities existed in the cell, and some small possessions of the inmates were hung in plastic bags along the walls.
The day we were at Mandaluyong, in co-ordination with the Department of Social Welfare, we managed to secure a court order to procure the release of a minor (aged 17) to the care of Preda. He had been there for three weeks.
We then went to Bicutan military camp about 45 minutes drive south of Metro Manila to visit CRADLE (which is an acronym for "Centre for Restorative Activities Development and Learning Experiences"), there are currently 160 inmates, all boys, with the exception of 7 girls. The centre is a newly built complex, in H-block layout, and overlooked by adult detention centres adjacent to it, visibly older buildings, but similar in layout, and even from the distance, visibly overcrowded. There is a small amount of open area outside (certainly not any smaller that that which I have seen in one particular, albeit antiquated jail in Ireland), coloured with murals of various famous parts of the Philippines, and a basketball court, and to the outsider looks brighter and more welcoming than the grim jails where adults are detained. There are also a number of murals painting positive reaffirmation about the philosophies about the centre. But, thereıs also an eerie silence around the centre there were no children out playing, there was little noise coming from the cells, each holding up to twenty detainees.
We had a short introduction from two of the staff on the work they do at CRADLE, and the daily operations. As with the murals, there are lots of positive reaffirmation pinned on the walls on the services being provided and the aims of the centre. In terms of funding we were told that the government provides funding only for the food requirements of the detainees, and the staff (only 16 in all for 167 minors) They rely on the work of NGOs to provide education to the boys and facilitate activities. One of the activities they seemed pleased with was the computer training, which is a great opportunity for the boys in the centre to learn useful skills while they are being detained. However, we then learned that there are only two computers available to the children so that a maximum of nine can participate on this course. There was also a small library provided by another NGO, but again it was empty and unused by any minors who were all in their cells.
We went upstairs to visit the cells, which are large rooms, with capacity to hold up to 52 in each, but at present hold a maximum of 20. In contrast to the other jails, the cells at CRADLE were certainly clean, there were sets of very simple bunk beds around the room with thin mattresses, and lavatory facilities at the back of each cell, and small box shaped shelves for the boyıs belongings. Thereıs a corridor along the front of the cells which are lined with balconies which are also barred. Save for those facing into the adult jail next-door, these are open to let in natural light and air. As all the cells are not used, I did wonder why they didnıt make use of some of the cells available which did not face into the adultıs centre, but some questions are not appropriate to ask on the spot.
The children are separated largely by age, by sexual orientation and by whether they have tattoos (tattoos are the common way that detainees in adult centres show their allegiance to a particular ³gang² on the inside children at Preda have told me that when youıre in the adult jails you have to join a gang for protection so I think this is an attempt to keep those children who might be regarded as more hardened by the system away from those who have not been exposed to the same degree; but this system also leaves no room for those inmates who may be greatly reformed and be good leaders or examples to those more junior or less experienced detainees, as is the case with one of the boys I have come to know in Preda.)
On coming into the corridor at each cell, the boys, some dressed only in shorts due to the heat, pulled on t-shirts to retain their modesty in front of their guests, and all politely, but almost militarily, droned ³good afternoon visitors². Mostly the boys were lying around, bored without anything to do, except in one cell, where they were using a bible (of all things!) to take tiny strips of paper from which they were making quite ornate origami type pieces and one of our group was given a gift of a very elegant swan.
As we chatted further to the staff, it became apparent how scarce resources are in CRADLE, and that they can only facilitate activities about once a week for each group of children (instead of a programme which aims to have them involved in activities each day).
As we were leaving, a group appeared and neatly formed a square type arrangement, all squatting behind a seated prison guard, with one other seated guard bringing up the rear to watch TV, and I reckoned this was their afternoon activity.
There was an uncanny irony in having a few Preda boys with us who had previously been in CRADLE firstly they had to get visitors stamps on the way in to make sure we could get them out again! Secondly, they were free to run around the centre as much as they wanted, they wavered between following us on our tour, and running down to the Preda JRT staff in the ground floor office who were dealing with transfers of custody from Cradle to Preda. The paper was was done and a minor was successfully transferred to Predaıs custody. Even on departure with our new charge, he seemed quiet, nervous and apprehensive, trying still to make sense to the new arrangement, while Predaıs more established charges were full of chat, boisterousness and behaviour expected of boys their age.
While
CRADLE certainly represents an improvement on the detention of minors in
municipal prisons in cage like pens and in some cases with adults in
police stations it seems like a stopgap institutional measure. It merely
provides a short-term solution for the children in conflict with the law
who are in dire need of basic rights to education, freedom of movement,
a healthy non-prison environment and sports, and support for the many
other human needs of children and youth under conditions which can help
them reintegrate to society in a meaningful way.
We had a short introduction from two of the staff on the work they do at CRADLE, and the daily operations. As with the murals, there are lots of positive reaffirmation pinned on the walls on the services being provided and the aims of the centre. In terms of funding we were told that the government provides funding only for the food requirements of the detainees, and the staff (only 16 in all for 167 minors) They rely on the work of NGOs to provide education to the boys and facilitate activities. One of the activities they seemed pleased with was the computer training, which is a great opportunity for the boys in the centre to learn useful skills while they are being detained. However, we then learned that there are only two computers available to the children so that a maximum of nine can participate on this course. There was also a small library provided by another NGO, but again it was empty and unused by any minors who were all in their cells.
We went upstairs to visit the cells, which are large rooms, with capacity to hold up to 52 in each, but at present hold a maximum of 20. In contrast to the other jails, the cells at CRADLE were certainly clean, there were sets of very simple bunk beds around the room with thin mattresses, and lavatory facilities at the back of each cell, and small box shaped shelves for the boyıs belongings. Thereıs a corridor along the front of the cells which are lined with balconies which are also barred. Save for those facing into the adult jail next-door, these are open to let in natural light and air. As all the cells are not used, I did wonder why they didnıt make use of some of the cells available which did not face into the adultıs centre, but some questions are not appropriate to ask on the spot.
The children are separated largely by age, by sexual orientation and by whether they have tattoos (tattoos are the common way that detainees in adult centres show their allegiance to a particular ³gang² on the inside children at Preda have told me that when youıre in the adult jails you have to join a gang for protection so I think this is an attempt to keep those children who might be regarded as more hardened by the system away from those who have not been exposed to the same degree; but this system also leaves no room for those inmates who may be greatly reformed and be good leaders or examples to those more junior or less experienced detainees, as is the case with one of the boys I have come to know in Preda.)
On coming into the corridor at each cell, the boys, some dressed only in shorts due to the heat, pulled on t-shirts to retain their modesty in front of their guests, and all politely, but almost militarily, droned ³good afternoon visitors². Mostly the boys were lying around, bored without anything to do, except in one cell, where they were using a bible (of all things!) to take tiny strips of paper from which they were making quite ornate origami type pieces and one of our group was given a gift of a very elegant swan.
As we chatted further to the staff, it became apparent how scarce resources are in CRADLE, and that they can only facilitate activities about once a week for each group of children (instead of a programme which aims to have them involved in activities each day).
As we were leaving, a group appeared and neatly formed a square type arrangement, all squatting behind a seated prison guard, with one other seated guard bringing up the rear to watch TV, and I reckoned this was their afternoon activity.
There was an uncanny irony in having a few Preda boys with us who had previously been in CRADLE firstly they had to get visitors stamps on the way in to make sure we could get them out again! Secondly, they were free to run around the centre as much as they wanted, they wavered between following us on our tour, and running down to the Preda JRT staff in the ground floor office who were dealing with transfers of custody from Cradle to Preda. The paper was was done and a minor was successfully transferred to Predaıs custody. Even on departure with our new charge, he seemed quiet, nervous and apprehensive, trying still to make sense to the new arrangement, while Predaıs more established charges were full of chat, boisterousness and behaviour expected of boys their age.
While CRADLE certainly represents an improvement on
the detention of minors in municipal prisons in cage like pens and in
some cases with adults in police stations it seems like a stopgap
institutional measure. It merely provides a short-term solution for the
children in conflict with the law who are in dire need of basic rights
to education, freedom of movement,a healthy non-prison environment and
sports, and support for the many other human needs of children and youth
under conditions which can help them reintegrate to society in a
meaningful way.
